The UNESCO Global Geopark label was created in 2015. It recognizes geological heritage of international significance. Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their significant geological heritage with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development. The 18 new designations have brought the network up to 195 UNESCO Global Geoparks, covering a total surface area of 486,709 km2, equivalent to twice the size of the United Kingdom.
The new geoparks are:
Brazil: Caçapava UNESCO Global Geopark
For the Guarani, an indigenous people in Brazil, this geopark is 'the place where the jungle ends'. The geopark is located in Rio Grande do Sul State in southernmost Brazil. Its geological heritage, which consists of mining sulfide metals and marble, has been vital for the region's economic development. The sedimentary deposits of volcanic origin in the Camaquã basin represent the most complete and well-exposed record of the transition of the South American Platform from the Ediacaran period to the Cambrian period between 600 and 500 million years ago. Ediacarans were the earliest known animals. These soft-bodied marine organisms were similar to modern-day species such as jellyfish. Besides its geodiversity, the geopark is home to endangered cacti, bromeliads, endemic flowers and bee species. The native shrublands and grasslands that surround the bare rock hills preserve a sustainable livelihood, that of family-based sheep and goat breeding. The geopark's scenic hills served as natural military fortifications from the medieval to early-modern period.
