Hațeg Country UNESCO Global Geopark

A UNESCO Global Geopark is built around geological heritage of international value. In Hațeg, this includes world-renowned Late Cretaceous fossil sites, particularly dwarf dinosaur discoveries that reshaped scientific understanding of island evolution in Europe.

Geoparks do not only protect fossils, they promote research, interpretation and scientific dissemination. In Hațeg, this translates into an active research environment involving:

• Paleontology and stratigraphy
• Paleoecology and paleobotany
• Biodiversity and habitat monitoring
• Environmental sciences and climate adaptation
• Geography and spatial planning
• Anthropology and intangible heritage
• Education sciences and science communication

Over recent years:

• 15 research projects were carried out with Geopark support
• 10 peer-reviewed publications were produced using data from the territory
• Around 30 researchers annually, national and international, conduct studies in the Geopark

Scientific contributions include articles in Cretaceous Research, Geoheritage, Papers in Palaeontology, Geoconservation Research and interdisciplinary volumes on geotourism, volunteer management and heritage interpretation

As required by UNESCO, research outcomes are not isolated academic exercises; they are translated into interpretation infrastructure, exhibitions, thematic trails and community-based projects.

A UNESCO Global Geopark must demonstrate active management, education programs and heritage interpretation infrastructure. Through these structures, the University ensures that UNESCO standards for conservation, interpretation and community engagement are fulfilled. The Hațeg Geopark includes:

• 6 visitor and interpretation centres (“Houses of the Geopark”)
• 9 thematic trails (94 km)
• 25 geological and 8 natural sites under monitoring
• 8 automated Eco-Counter visitor monitoring devices

These facilities are not only tourist attractions, they function as research and education infrastructure supporting fieldwork, long-term monitoring and applied sustainability studies.

For example:

• The House of the Geopark (Hațeg) serves as a research and education hub
• The House of Volcanoes (Densuș) interprets volcanic heritage through scientific exhibitions
• Thematic trails such as the recent “Colț Fortress” integrate geological research into public education

One of the three pillars of the UNESCO Global Geoparks program is education. A geopark must actively promote Earth sciences, environmental awareness and sustainable development education. In Hațeg, this mission is implemented through:

• 150 University students annually engaged in field practice
• 1,500 hours of practical training for high school pupils per year
• Around 1,000 students and pupils participating annually
• 98 structured courses
• 216 workshops and educational sessions
• 52 formal educational partnerships, forming the EduGeopark local educational network

Programs include experiential learning modules, internships, volunteer training (“Volunteers for the Geopark Programme”), and interdisciplinary field schools.

UNESCO Global Geoparks form a structured international network encouraging scientific exchange and collaboration. The Hațeg Geopark contributes to the University’s international profile through:

• 17 international partnerships
• 10 international researchers involved annually
• 50 participations in international conferences in the last 5 years
• 5 international meetings hosted locally
• 13 international volunteers and interns from Portugal, Spain and Germany

Major international projects include:

• Danube Interreg GeoTour Plus
• Erasmus+ Exchanging Memories – Memory of the Earth
• Reconnect I–III (Horizon framework)
• UNESCO grant ”Sustainability at Work!”

A UNESCO Global Geopark must demonstrate sustainable local development and community participation. In Hațeg, this includes:

• 405 local volunteers involved in the volunteer programme since 2013
• 5 citizen-science programs
• Approx. 80 local businesses supported
• Around 20,000 visitors annually, only at the geopark’s facilities
• About 12 geotourism events per year

Projects range from water-quality citizen science initiatives (Sustainability at Work) to sustainable agriculture (DinoGarden), geocaching trails, and the annual Dinosaur Festival.

In 2020, the Geopark received the Romanian National Award for Sustainable Development (Equity Category).

UNESCO Global Geoparks are explicitly aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2015:

• 30 projects directly contributed to SDGs
• 18 initiatives targeted Quality Education
• 9 supported Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 7 addressed Life on Land
• 5 addressed Climate Action

The Geopark builds partnerships between universities, research institutes, NGOs and local authorities — contributing strongly to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

As required by UNESCO, a geopark is not only a territory, but a governance model based on science, education, sustainability and partnerships.

The Hațeg Country UNESCO Global Geopark demonstrates how a research-intensive university can generate measurable scientific output, develop interdisciplinary research platforms, foster structured international cooperation, translate research results into tangible societal impact, and actively contribute to global sustainability agendas. Through this integrated and territorially embedded approach, the University of Bucharest strengthens its research environment, enhances its international outlook, and expands its societal impact within a globally recognized UNESCO framework.

“Sustainability at Work! Research and Community-Driven Action for Sustainable Development”

The project “Sustainability at Work!” (2023–2024), supported by the abrdn Foundation through the UNESCO Office in Venice, illustrates how the Hațeg Country UNESCO Global Geopark functions as an interdisciplinary living laboratory of the University of Bucharest.

Implemented together with Babeș-Bolyai University, six local schools and two NGOs, the project applied citizen science methodologies to monitor water quality in wells and springs used by local communities. Over 90 students collected and analysed data, while 70 entered results into a digital platform. The project also included water footprint assessments and the development of sustainability strategies for partner NGOs.

The initiative combined:

• Environmental sciences & hydrology – water sampling and analysis
• Geography – spatial interpretation of water data
• Biology & ecology – ecosystem health assessment
• Sustainability studies – footprint evaluation and strategy development
• Education sciences – service-learning and citizen science methodology
• Digital tools & data management – data visualisation and platform use

A UNESCO Global Geopark connects geological heritage, environmental management and education within a real territory. In this case, the Geopark provided:

• A stable territorial research framework
• Access to real community water sources
• A network of schools and local partners
• Institutional alignment with UNESCO sustainability principles

Through this project, the University generated applied research data while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple academic fields, strengthened experiential learning and doctoral research opportunities through real-world field engagement, contributed directly to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4, 6, 13 and 17), and enhanced its societal impact within an internationally recognised UNESCO framework. This example clearly demonstrates how the Geopark enables the University of Bucharest to transform academic research into measurable community-based impact while reinforcing interdisciplinary excellence.