2nd Announcement
IGU Seminar on Geodiversity from Geographical Perspectives 2025
10:00 – 12:40 GMT, 6th October 2025 (Monday)
6th October is the International Geodiversity Day proclaimed by UNESCO in 2021 for a worldwide celebration bringing people together to promote the many aspects of geodiversity. The IGU supports this new initiative strongly, and has established a Geodiversity Group in order to enhance awareness of this international day, to highlight the significance of geodiversity, and to explore geographical perspectives on geodiversity. The IGU Geodiversity Group, with the support of the IGU Executive Committee, is pleased to announce the third IGU Seminar on Geodiversity from Geographical Perspectives, which will be held online. The theme for this year’s Geodiversity Day has been announced as “One Earth, Many Stories”.
Seminar Programme
Introduction (10:00 – 10:10)
Chief Coordinator: Prof. Yukio Himiyama (IGU Past President, himiyamay@kkd.biglobe.ne.jp)
Session 1: Geodiversity and Physical Geography (10:10 – 10:40)
Coordinator: Prof. Hiroya Yamano (Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, yamano@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
The present session aims at showcasing the current state of Geodiversity in the world, highlighting the significance, properties and interpretations of variety of assemblages of 1) geological/geomorphological features and other Earth surface features including soils and landscapes, 2) their spatial-temporal dynamics, and 3) the underlying environmental processes. Presenters outline the major features of geodiversity in their case (the scale is up to the presenter) with an indication of what features and processes are considered to be most significant and why. It would be followed by a description of the measures taken to conserve the geodiversity in question, in collaboration with biogeography and human geography perspectives.
Session 2: Geodiversity and Biogeography (10:40 – 11:10)
Coordinator: Prof. Pei Wang (Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, pwang@ihb.ac.cn)
To call for international collaborations in order to promote the understanding on what is the basic laws underlying the geodiversity sustains biodiversity patterns; why geodiversity is so important in conserving the biodiversity under the global change; how to make the geodiversity and biodiversity values better serve for the need of the public and achieve the SDGs. The purpose of this symposium is to gather cases and share experiences on geodiversity-biodiversity patterns around the world in order to better recognize the past and serve the future from Geographical Perspectives. Background Photo: Coral reefs and islands in Fiji
Session 3: Human Geography for Geodiversity – Global and local geopolitics for nature
and conservation (11:10 – 11:40)
Coordinator: Prof. Maria Paradiso (IGU Vice President, University Federico II, Naples, and National Marine Biodiversity Centre, maria.paradiso@unina.it)
This session welcomes submissions based on case studies, addressing, but not only, the following topics: How do global geopolitics influence biodiversity conservation efforts?; Why is international cooperation vital for protecting endangered species?; How might shifts in global power affect funding for nature and conservation initiatives?; In what ways can local communities be empowered amid changing geopolitical landscapes?; How can global solidarity be pursued for addressing geodiversity issues which include the welfare of local communities?
Session 4: Inhabiting the Earth – Social and Cultural Geography for Geodiversity (11:40
– 12:10)
Coordinator: Prof. Louis Dupont (Chair of the IGU Commission on Cultural Geography, Society and Heritage, Institute of Geography, Sorbonne University, France, louis.dupont@sorbonne-universite.fr, duponlouis@aol.com)
In inhabiting the Earth, human beings are the origin of networks of interconnected worlds: in brief, geodiversity. This session aims at exploring how cultural and social geography can contribute to rethinking nature, place, and cultures in times of climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and shifting landscapes. A variety of themes and issues can be discussed: Critically examine environmental discourses and imaginaries in geography; Explore how place, identity, and belonging are shaped in response to ecological transformation; Examine the role of cultural heritage in regard to nature and the environment; Engage with indigenous, feminist, postcolonial, or posthuman perspectives on nature; Interrogate the cultural politics of sustainability, adaptation, and resilience; Foreground the role of cultural and social geography in shaping more just and plural ecological futures; Leaving the Earth…
Session 5: Round Table on “One Earth, Many Stories” (12:10 – 12:40)
Chair: Prof. Yukio Himiyama (IGU Past President)
Discussants:
Prof. Mike Meadows (IGU Immediate Past President)
Prof. Hiroya Yamano (Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo)
Prof. Pei Wang (Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Prof. Maria Paradiso (IGU Vice President, University Federico II, Naples, and National
Marine Biodiversity Centre)
Prof. Louis Dupont (Chair of the IGU Commission on Cultural Geography, Society and
Heritage, Institute of Geography, Sorbonne University, France)
Prof. Monica Dumitrascu (IGU-LUCC Commission Chair, Romanian Academy)
Linkage: https://u-tokyo-ac-jp.zoom.us/j/84217428249
Number: 842 1742 8249, Code: 869114
Host: Prof. Hiroya Yamano
(Anyone interested can join max 300 without pre-registration)