| Title |
An evaluation of residents' perceptions of the creation of a geopark: a case study on the geopark in Mt. Huaying Grand Canyon, Sichuan Province, China |
| ID_Doc |
67714 |
| Authors |
Zeng, FW |
| Title |
An evaluation of residents' perceptions of the creation of a geopark: a case study on the geopark in Mt. Huaying Grand Canyon, Sichuan Province, China |
| Year |
2014 |
| Published |
Environmental Earth Sciences, 71, 3 |
| DOI |
10.1007/s12665-013-2550-5 |
| Abstract |
In recent years, geoparks (a geoheritage effort to protect geological features) have been vigorously promoted in China and abroad. The evaluation of a geopark is important for geopark development. However, current evaluation methods focus on geoheritage and their values, and often ignore residents' situations, even though community participation is essential to the sustainable development of geoparks. In this paper, the Mt. Huaying Grand Canyon Geological Park was selected as a study area to evaluate resident's perceptions of the park. Perception impact factors were selected from the perspective of the park residents. Quantitative evaluation models, based on data from questionnaires, were created using the hierarchy process model and expert evaluation method. The results showed that the following factors influenced residents' perceptions, listed from the most significant to the least: residents' understanding of geoheritage, participation level in commercial activities, participation level in planning decisions, satisfaction level regarding benefit distribution and level of participation willingness. It was found that residents' level of understanding of geoheritage and their participation level in planning decisions were the main reasons for poorer perceptions of geoheritage. The keys to improving residents' perceptions of geoheritage are to change the management system, implement people-centered policies and to establish a government-led management mode that encourages community participation and involves private business contracts. |
| Author Keywords |
Geopark; Residents' perceptions; Impact factor; Analytic hierarchy process; Evaluation system |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000330124100041 |
| WoS Category |
Environmental Sciences; Geosciences, Multidisciplinary; Water Resources |
| Research Area |
Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Geology; Water Resources |
| PDF |
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