Degradation Risk Assessment methods: comparative analysis and typology

The susceptibility to deterioration of a geosite is known as degradation risk. Its assessment is fundamental to have an overview of the condition of a geosite and to schedule a correct monitoring plan in order to conserve the geoheritage relevance and re-establish stable conditions that were lost. The degradation risk assessment provides precious information for a correct protection of the geological heritage and its management, with attention to the effects of climate change. A periodic assessment of the degradation risk helps the researchers to understand the environmental and anthropogenic processes that act on a geosite and to monitor its possible changes across time.

Due to the increase in geoconservation studies, several methods of assessment of geosites have been published since the 1990s. However, there is little literature about degradation risk in connection with geoheritage. Geoheritage degradation risk should be assessed in the first stages of any geoconservation strategy, even more when the aim is to tackle the effects of climate change already in action. Four main criteria to assess the degradation risk are usually considered: fragility, natural vulnerability, anthropic vulnerability and public use. However, the terminology is not univocal and same terms are used by the authors differently. Hence, a standard methodology that supports the recognition and prevention of threats affecting geosites is missing.

In this work are summarised and analysed the papers published until now on degradation risk assessment and  are classified in different typologies. The aims of this study is to analyse how methods of degradation risk of geoheritage developed and to compare them, to shed light on terms and methods and helps future research consider using the best methodology to evaluate how their own work.