Paris (VNA) – Vietnamese and French localities have signed a cooperation agreementon managing and developing geoparks after Vietnam’s Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark inCao Bang province was named a UNESCOglobal geopark on April 12.

The agreement was recently signed between the management boards of the Non NuocCao Bang Global Geopark and the Haute-Provence Global Geopark of France in Digne-les-Bainscity, the southern province of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Cao Bang province Hoang Xuan Anh led a delegationto visit France to learn from Haute-Provence Geopark’s management board’s experiencein preserving and exploiting natural heritages.

According to Anh, being recognised as a member of the UNESCO Global GeoparkNetwork will open new opportunities for Cao Bang.

CaoBang has identified tourism as a spearhead target, especially culture andcommunity-based tourism and ecotourism, Anh said.


He stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation, especially as ecotourismand community-based tourism are strengths of Haute-Provence geological park,while Cao Bang lacks experience in exploiting natural heritages fordevelopment.

Patricia Granet, Mayor of Digne-les-Bains, said the number of visitors to Haute-Provencehas increased markedly since it was recognised as a global geopark.

Sheexpressed her hope that the cooperation will help Cao Bang better manage anddevelop Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark, thus benefiting residents in the parkand those across the locality.

During their stay, Cao Bang’s delegates visited popular tourism sites inHaute-Provence Geopark   - the first global geopark recognised byUNESCO in 2000, which is considered a model for the preservation and promotionof the value of geoparks.

Francehas so far seven members in the UNESCO Global Geopark Network. However,Haute-Provence Global Geopark has always been a model park in developing andexploiting tourism and promoting conservation and sustainable development.

Alarge-scale art road project was launched in 2000 in the park to help visitorsexplore cultural and historical heritages and century-old-ramparts.

Thanks to the bountry of nature, along with traditional skills, traditionaltrades are strongly developing in Haute-Provence Geopark. Farms producing honeyand olive oil, lavender fields and ceramic villages have become attractive destinationsfor tourists.

Non Nuoc Cao Bang is about 300kmfrom Hanoi. It covers more than 3,000 sq.km. in the districts of Ha Quang, TraLinh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang and Phuc Hoa and part of Hoa An, NguyenBinh and Thach An districts. 

The geopark is home to fossils, ocean sediment,volcanic rocks, minerals and karst landscapes, which can give researchers aninsight into a more than-500-million-year history of the Earth. It is also wellknown for rich biodiversity and many indigenous fauna and flora species.-VNA