Framing geoheritage management responses to threats in the Anthropocene: moving from reactive management to prioritising risk-based planning

Geodiversity and, geoheritage deliver services and benefits for people and nature through the influence of geology, geomorphology soils, hydrology and biogeochemical processes on landscape, habitats and species, ecosystem functioning, economic activities, historical and cultural heritage and people’s health and well-being. However, direct and indirect impacts of human activities present huge challenges both globally and locally for geoconservation in protected and conserved areas. Regardless of how one defines the Anthropocene, human activities have progressively transformed the planet, culminating in the Great Acceleration from the 1950s onwards. Threats arise from urban and infrastructure development, mining and mineral extraction, land restoration, changes in land use, river and coastal management, recreation and tourism. Moreover, these are compounded by the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Inventories and assessments of geoheritage sites important for research, education and geotourism have been a prominent focus of geoconservation work, but there has been less emphasis on site management aspects of geoconservation in the face of  these threats, particularly the opportunities for proactive management. Protected and conserved areas have a vital part to play in geoconservation but in order to prioritise and target resources effectively, more strategic approaches are required, moving forward from reactive management to planning and preparing for changes and impacts. Based on common standards and definitions, adapted as necessary for local circumstances, there is a need for systematic risk and vulnerability assessments, development of adaptation responses, monitoring and management planning based on understanding geomorphological processes and landscape evolution as part of a more integrated approach to nature conservation that recognises the links between geodiversity and biodiversity. This is particularly timely in the context of the new IUCN programme on Key Geoheritage Areas and their potential links with Key Biodiversity Areas. A management framework for climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning for geoheritage sites is used to illustrate such an approach.