Geoheritage Degradation Risk in Changing Environments: The Impacts of Climate Change and Tourism

Geoheritage includes elements and places, the latter defined as geosites, of notable importance for the understanding of the history of the Earth. Geoheriatge is a crucial resource that support scientific research, education, cultural identity, and sustainable development, e.g., through geotourism. However, geosites are increasingly exposed to degradation caused by a combination of natural and anthropogenic pressures. Among these pressures, mass tourism, and in particular overtourism, have emerged as critical drivers of degradation that require urgent and coordinated attention.



While tourism offers valuable opportunities for public engagement and economic development, it can also generate severe negative impacts when inadequately managed. As tourism continues to expand globally, especially in sensitive environments, finding an effective balance between tourism development and geoconservation becomes increasingly important.



Another pressing yet relatively underexplored issue is geoheritage degradation risk associated with climate change. For instance, the intensification of extreme weather events is already causing measurable impacts on particularly exposed geosites. As awareness of the relevance of climate change increases, new opportunities are emerging to more effectively integrate its impacts into geoheritage degradation risk assessment and geoconservation strategies.



In this context, there is a clear need for interdisciplinary approaches that address the complex and interconnected nature of the threats affecting geoheritage. Effective conservation and management strategies must account for both environmental changes and socio-economic dynamics.



This research topic invites contributions that explore current challenges, present tools and methodologies, and share case studies from diverse geographic contexts related to geoheritage degradation risk assessment and management. Research focusing on the impacts of climate change, tourism, and wider environmental and socio-economic transformations, as well as contributions that effectively integrate scientific, policy, and practical perspectives, are particularly encouraged.

Submissions may include studies that:

• Investigate the impacts of climate change on geosites;

• Examine the effects of tourism and overtourism on geosites;

• Propose new or enhanced frameworks for assessing geoheritage degradation risk or present case studies illustrating successful mitigation efforts;

• Explore stakeholder engagement, policy-making, and community-based approaches to geoconservation.



By bringing together innovative and interdisciplinary research, this Research Topic aims to provide insights into geoheritage degradation risk assessment and to promote actionable strategies that enhance both its conservation and sustainable use.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Tourism, Geoheritage, Overtourism, Sustainability

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.