Running until September 12, the event takes place in the Araucania region, specifically at Kultralkura, the only Chilean site included in the UNESCO geological heritage list.

“Geoparks are living spaces where scientific research meets local knowledge, the conservation of natural heritage joins the transmission of ancestral culture, and communities are the protagonists of their own sustainable development.”

Esther Kuisch Laroche, director of UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, said this conference is a unique opportunity to show the world how heritage can become a driving force of identity, social cohesion, and resilience in the face of global challenges.

Kutralkura, which means stone of fire in the Mapudungun language, covers an area of 12,000 square kilometers in seven communities of La Araucania and extends mostly across the Andes mountain range.

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