Chun yeong ng, P. mcmanus & D.dragovich
School of geosciences, The university, Australia NSW200
Keywords: Hong Kong, geotourism, Geopark, geoconservation, geoheritage
The conservation of valuable geological features and geoheritage is under direct threat from urban development in cities where land is scarce. Innovative and convincing approaches are needed to addressthis conservation issue. This paper assesses the challenges of promoting geoconservation in metropolitan areas, using Hong Kong as an example of a city with important geological features, little available land and intense development pressures. It considers the socio-cultural, environmental, economic and governance issues of using geoparks and the geotourism concept to achieve geoconservation in this urban context. Where appropriate, insights and lessons derived from studying geotourism in Hong Kong are then offered for other cities around the world.
