A huge tsunami, triggered by the M9.0 earthquake in the Pacific offshore of the Northeast Japan in March 2011, destroyed the beautiful scenery and took the lives of more than 14,000 persons. This is one example of a natural process repeated on a geological scale. Tectonically active regions like the Japanese Archipelago are repeatedly and adversely impacted by geohazards such as earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic eruption, while geo- and bio-diversity has been created there as the result of the same events. The Geopark Information , one of four global geoparks in Japan, is represented by various beneficial effects of volcanic activity, such as beautiful landscapes, hot springs and fertile soil, but also illustrates a communities recovery from repeated volcanic and tsunami hazards. The Japan Geoparks community is preparing this conference on Unzen, supplemented with field trips to visit Japanese and Korean Geoparks. This conference is a good opportunity for all attendees to consider the coexistence of humankind and nature.

Expected participants:

Geopark managers and staff, geo-guides, scientists, experts on tourism, environment-nature protection, geo-disaster and the like, school teachers, students, local residents, UNESCO-GGN bureaus, national and local government officials, and other interested persons.

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