Projet de recherche BL/36/VT46 (Action de recherche BL)
Project summary/objectives :
The project will contribute to better handling of geohazards and geoheritage protection in karst areas. To investigate the karstic specificities and responses affecting risk mitigation actions, two UNESCO Global Geopark karst areas are studied, one in Belgium, located in the Famenne-Ardenne, with typical meander cut-offs systems, and one in Vietnam, the Dong Van Karst Plateau (mountainous fengcong karst with sinkhole-resurgence systems).
The project on karst geo-ecosystems has 3 objectives: (1) producing innovative scientific research; (2) investigating the social impact of geohazards related to Karst regions ; (3) providing policy recommendations for national and regional decision makers for risk management and sustainable development.
To achieve this goal 3 activity axes are deployd.
(1) Drawing up an inventory list and map with a ranking or prioritisation of geohazards and vulnerable geoheritage will support policy makers in urban / land use planning. This will be done in close collaboration with the Geoparks, local management and citizens.
(2) High level technology (MT-SAR) will be applied to map ground movement over the whole surface of the 2 Geoparks. This will help in estimating the influence and the impact of geohazards and will guide the planning of future interventions to reduce high risk, and to ensure the protection of geoheritage.
(3) To increase the awareness of protecting geoheritage and decrease the effects of geohazards local authorities and citizens will be informed about specific geohazards risks in practice, and what they themselves can do against it (eg.pollution of groundwater). Cooperation and outreach with schools and citizans.
The two UNESCO Global Geoparks at the core of the project provide exceptional data and expertise on the geoheritage, detailed geological mapping data and extensive pioneering scientific publications. Comparative research on the data and analysis of UNESCO Global Geoparks is however still rare.
