400 participants attended Geopark conference in Reykjanes

The conference's title was "Thriving Amidst Nature's Tests," which can be interpreted as the resilience of regions in responding to the challenges posed by nature, referring to the trials that the Reykjanes Geopark community has faced over the past three years, particularly concerning earthquakes and frequent volcanic eruptions. Like many other geoparks, we share the necessity to respond to natural disasters and strive for community rebuilding, strengthening infrastructure, and creating opportunities for future development in alignment with the challenges nature presents to us.

Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, the Minister of Culture and Business, opened the conference and announced to the guests the state's financial support for the two national parks in Iceland, Katla and Reykjanes, amounting to ten million Icelandic krónur annually over the next two years.

Following the minister's address, the chair of the European network and a representative from UNESCO welcomed the guests. Subsequently, Fannar Jónasson, the chairman of the Reykjanes Geopark and mayor of Grindavík, greeted the guests to the area while providing insights into the challenges the community has faced over the past three years. A video produced by the Civil Protection Agency was shown, detailing the conditions in Grindavík during the evacuation of residents prior to the eruptions at Sýlingarfell. Matthew Roberts, head of the research and service division at the Meteorological Office, also gave a presentation on the opening, discussing the seismic activity from the perspective of the scientific community. Conference attendees unanimously agreed that this approach and review of a sensitive subject matter provided them with a much better understanding of the status of projects within the national park than the coverage by foreign media could reflect. It was therefore fitting that in the tour at the end of the conference, all participants had the opportunity to visit Kvikuna in Grindavík and gain insights into the situation from residents. Around 300 conference attendees participated in these introductory tours of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where they could learn about earthquakes, the local culture, tourism, the region's resources and their utilization, outdoor education, and STEM education. The tours provided guests the opportunity to get acquainted with diverse projects and innovations, visit cultural institutions, tourism companies, research facilities, and primary schools, as well as explore Reykjanes with guidance from experts.

The main goal of a conference like this is to strengthen the network of geological parks both within the network and with stakeholders, allowing participants to share their experiences and learn from one another while becoming acquainted with the activities of geological parks around the world. For the organizers of the Reykjanes geological park, the aim of the conference was also to enhance knowledge within the network about the park and to take the opportunity to showcase its activities to the local community, including residents, businesses, and institutions in Reykjanes as well as throughout the entire country.

One of the key aspects of the project was to hold the event in the local area, within the Reykjanes Geopark, thereby strengthening businesses and services in the nearby community. As previously mentioned, there were about 400 participants at the conference, and it can be estimated that a similar number was involved in the preparation and execution of the conference, as well as in providing services to the conference attendees in one way or another. The goal was set with the Reykjanes Geopark in mind to ensure that all services and supplies for the conference would come from the region. Additionally, efforts were made to promote local production and services during the conference, in the event materials, and at the conference venue. Consequently, all catering came from local providers, design and preparation took place within the region, and transportation for participants, musical performances, and more were provided by local residents.

The event's environmental policy aimed to be plastic-free, promote local shopping, and minimize all transportation and logistics. Efforts were made to keep printing to a minimum and offer on-site recycling. Achieving carbon neutrality for conferences in Iceland is challenging due to the country's geography; however, the organizers decided that part of the conference fee would go towards carbon offsetting, while also supporting local rescue teams by purchasing the planting of trees for 1.1 million krónur. The donation to the rescue teams was presented at the event's opening.

It is the opinion of those who attended the conference that it was exceptionally successful, and it was mentioned that it was one of the better international conferences that the European Geoparks Network has been involved with to date. Therefore, everyone who contributed to the project can be proud of their contribution and the benefits it has brought both to the local community and beyond the borders.