The Belgian-Dutch 'Scheldedelta' platform has submitted its candidacy to be listed as UNESCO Global Geopark. The label would highlight its geological, ecologic and cultural-historical value, and the role the delta plays to show how we can adapt to climate change.
The Scheldedelta, where the River Scheldt splits up and enters the North Sea, comprises parts of East and West Flanders and the Dutch provinces of Noord-Brabant and Zeeland. Scientifically speaking, it is actually an estuary, as the tides make sure that sweet and salt water are being mixed.
The landscape has been marked by the Schelde, but also by human activity, which can be seen in the presence of dikes, mills and drown villages. The applicants argue that a UNESCO recognition would not involve new obligations, while it would generate international interest, and offer new options for scientific research and tourism.
"The starting point is the rich past of the Schelde valley, as an inspiration for thr future", says Kathleen Helsen of the provincial authorities. The Schelde delta covers 5,500 square kilometers and could become one of the world's biggest geoparks.