Raising awareness on the geodiversity of the Maltese archipelago through the proposal of a geopark at Il-Qammieh

Abstract

The International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) regards local appreciation for geomorphological sensitive areas as negligible or very poor. The Association stated that the global current issue is how to educate people about the value of 'geomorphosites', that is, geomorphological sites and to raise awareness about the scientific significance of such sites. Also, geomorphology as an academic field is underestimated (IAG, 2003). This dissertation aims to raise awareness about the local geodiversity, that is, the geology and geomorphology of the Maltese archipelago. Geodiversity is a recent concept which refers to the geological (bedrock), geomorphological (landform) and soil features, assemblages, systems · and processes (Australian Heritage Commission, 2002). Two different surveys have been undertaken to reach the above objective which forms the basis of this research. A physical survey of il-Qammieh has been conducted to acquire knowledge on the geodiversity of the area. The emphasis is focused on the relationship between the geology and geomorphology of the area as this is almost ignored. Not the same can be said on the ecology of the area, which is highly valued under the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (2003). The objective behind this study is to carry a detailed survey and propose il-Qammieh as a geopark, that is, a site where people are educated about the geodiversity of a particular location while protecting the present rocks and associated landforms. This will be an excellent opportunity to educate the local public about the geodiversity of the Maltese archipelago since il-Qammieh is considered as a representative site for the geological and geomorphological features of the Archipelago. A brochure featuring a guided geological walk has been produced to achieve the goals of this dissertation. The second survey deals with detennining the local level of knowledge about the geology and geomorphology of the Maltese archipelago. This has revealed the need to create a geopark under the guidelines of UNESCO (1999). For this survey, the data have been collected through personal interviews. Secondary data are also used to understand more the diverse environmental values, attitudes and perception. The primary data are expected to test the hypothesis that geological and geomorphological knowledge is lacking within the local population. This therefore highlights the need to disseminate knowledge about both the geology and geomorphology of the Maltese archipelago.