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Contribution of a Geomorphosite Inventory to the Geoheritage Knowledge in Developing Countries: the Case of the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

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Abstract

The central objective of this paper is to show how a geomorphosite inventory can improve the knowledge of geomorphological and geological heritage in developing countries. We propose an inclusive and systematic approach of protection and outreach of the geomorphological heritage based on a geomorphosite inventory. Twenty-one geomorphosites were identified and fully documented in the Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP) in Ethiopia. The results show that the geomorphological heritage of the SMNP is in a good conservation state. It is of considerable scientific, educational, touristic and ecological interest. A management program consisting of eight strategic objectives with the aim of increasing awareness and sustainable use of geomorphological heritage of the SMNP (here called geotourism development) was subsequently developed. It includes capacity building of park staff, expansion and diversification of the trekking experience and the introduction of an accreditation system for geo-guided tours. The proposals for the geomorphosite management are indicative of a high potential for international geotourism development in the Simien Mountains. A Geopark could be proposed in the future, for which further research and pioneering work is required.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all employees of the SMNP, for their full and enjoyable cooperation during the Master’s thesis fieldwork of LM in the Simien. The Chief Warden Maru Beyadegelegne, Abebaw Azanaw, Fasika Negussie and in particular Belayneh Abebe and his team are greatly acknowledged for their great help for the success of the research expedition. We greatly acknowledge all interviewees for their time and the interesting discussions and their time, including Kumera Wakjira, Director of the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries Coordination of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, Teshome Mulu, Coordinator of the SMNP–Integrated Development Project (IDP) of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and Maru Beyadegelegne, Chief Warden of the Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP). We are grateful to an anonymous reviewer and Frances M. Williams for their comments, which improved the manuscript. In particular, we thank Frances M. Williams for her very accurate revision and the numerous suggestions that were very helpful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography and Sustainability, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Lukas Mauerhofer & Emmanuel Reynard

  2. School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Asfawossen Asrat

  3. Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Hans Hurni

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  1. Lukas Mauerhofer
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  2. Emmanuel Reynard
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  3. Asfawossen Asrat
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  4. Hans Hurni
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Correspondence to Lukas Mauerhofer.

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Mauerhofer, L., Reynard, E., Asrat, A. et al. Contribution of a Geomorphosite Inventory to the Geoheritage Knowledge in Developing Countries: the Case of the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Geoheritage 10, 559–574 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0234-3

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