Novosibirsk scientists create a geopark in Uzbekistan under the auspices of UNESCO

Scientists of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) will participate in the creation of a geopark under the auspices of UNESCO on the territory of the Kitab district, Kashkadarya region. The park will open up new opportunities for scientists from around the world to explore unique geological sections and attract tourists interested in natural attractions, Rambler reports.

Specialists of the Institute of Petroleum-Gas Geology and Geophysics named after A. A. Trofimuk has been working for several decades in the Kitab State Geological Reserve, which is located in the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. According to Nadejda Izoh, senior researcher at the Paleozoic Paleontology and Stratigraphy Laboratory of the INGG SB RAS, among the many natural monuments of Uzbekistan, the Zinsilban section is of particular interest – one can observe here mountain layers that are more than 400 million years old.

Work on the study of the unique geological sections of the Kitab Nature Reserve continues today. Institute staff regularly conduct expeditions in this territory, the last one took place this year.

Now experts are discussing what the future look and legal organization of the geopark will be. In August, the discussion took place within the framework of the First International Geotourism Forum, which was held in Shakhrisabz, an ancient Uzbek city located in Kashkadarya region.