The establishment of the Historical and Environmental Geomining Park of Sardinia is the result of an awareness process risen from many experts and simple enthusiasts for their territory, in recognizing values and potentiality of the great technical, scientific and cultural heritage, represented by the ancient mining epoch of Sardinia. In the autumn 1997, the General Conference of UNESCO, with the unanimous vote of its 170 delegates, recognized the Geomining Park as the first Park of the emergent UNESCO global geosites/geoparks network, a recognition unfortunately lost, since the UNESCO global geosites / geoparks network project did not go on with. In 1998, UNESCO, the Italian Government, the Sardinia Region, the Sardinian Universities and EMSA (Sardinian mining organization), signed the Charter of Cagliari, an important document that set the basic principles upon which to establish the Park and the objectives to be pursued. The law was promulgated in 2000, and in 2001 the establishing Ministerial Decree set goals, activities and management of the Historical and Environmental Geomining Park of Sardinia. The decree, included within the State Finance Law 388/2000, identified a Consortium as management body, comparable to research agencies and institutes, under the Law 168 / 89 and not the framework law on protected areas, Law 394 / 91. Furthermore, the Law 388/2000 established a fixed budget for its management. The Ministerial Decree of 16 October 2001 set its goals, activities and management. The Park Consortium adopted its first Statute in 2004. After 15 years from its founding, the Ministerial Decree of 8 September 2016, in agreement with the Regional Government and the Park Community, the Park was reformed.

The international value of the Park was confirmed in 2007, becoming a member of the GEOPARKS European and global network, under the auspices of UNESCO. After years of joint commitment of the members and with the approval by the UNESCO Science Commission on 17 November 2015, the 195 UNESCO Member States ratified the creation of a new label: UNESCO Global Geoparks. At the same time, the statute of the new IGGP (International Geoscience and Geoparks Program) was approved. The Geomining Park of Sardinia thus became a UNESCO Global Geopark. Since its establishment, for its studies and projects, the Park avails itself of the scientific collaboration of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari. Important contributions are also conferred by the Park Community, composed by 87 municipalities, and by the Regional Government of Sardinia. The Park is also provided with a technical-scientific committee which expresses a mandatory non-binding opinion on the multi-year investment proposals, strategic planning, the economic-social management plan, the territorial plan, the Park Regulations. The committee also expresses its opinion on any other issue concerning the Park management, submitted by the President or the Director of the Park.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PARK

The establishing principles and objectives pursued by the Historical and Environmental Geomining Park of Sardinia are contained in the Charter of Cagliari that was signed on 30September 1998. The objectives include:

• rehabilitation and remediation of former mining sites;
• recovery and conservation of mining worksites and structures and of the most representative geological sites;
• recovery and conservation of the industrial archeological heritage and of history and mining culture documentary heritage;
• protection and conservation of animal and plant species, botanical and forest associations;
• promotion and conservation of archaeological sites and the anthropic values of human and traditional activities;
• promotion of educational, recreational, sport and artistic-cultural initiatives, consistent with the protected values;
• promotion of the georesources, innovative materials, environment and renewable sources sectors;
• promotion and support of processes for the development of compatible economic activities in the ecological and cultural tourism and local traditional and innovative craftsmanship sectors.