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BU expert gains World Heritage first for Korea

18 October 2007

Korea's lava tube caves (Image courtesy of Cave Research Institute of Korea)

The Republic of Korea’s natural heritage is recognised thanks to the work of a BU expert.

Dr Chris Wood, from BU’s School of Conservation Sciences, has been instrumental in securing Korea’s first ever natural site inscription on UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage List.

Dr Wood, a specialist in geo-conservation and protected areas management, advised Korean scientists and heritage managers on the "outstanding universal value" of the landforms of the large shield volcano, Mount Halla.

The volcano forms the whole of the island of Jeju, an autonomous province lying off the south coast of the Korean peninsula. In recognition of his work, Dr Wood was awarded the freedom of the province.

Dr Wood also has further cause for celebration. Another site he advised on – the great volcanic edifice and caldera of the Las Cañadas volcano in Tenerife, Spain – was also recently inscribed.

Dr Wood is currently working with Chinese authorities on three new geological World Heritage Site nominations. These are the superb towering granite peaks and 'stone forest' of Mount Sanqing National Park, Jiangxi province; the one-billion-year old (Archaean) geology of Wutai National Park, Shanxi province; and the unusual dissected red sandstone 'Danxia landscape' of Sichuan province.

In addition to advising State Parties on the building of their World Heritage Site nominations, Dr Wood also undertakes technical field evaluations of candidate sites for the World Conservation Union (or IUCN – which acts as the scientific agent for UNESCO with respect to natural heritage).

In this regard he has just returned from undertaking an evaluation of Surtsey, the volcanic island that erupted spectacularly off the south coast of Iceland between 1963 and 1967.

Meeting in New Zealand in July, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee unanimously agreed inscription of Jeju Island principally in recognition of its internationally important lava tube caves.

One system of caves, made entirely by flowing lava, stretches for nearly 20 kilometres, with passages wide and high enough in places to accommodate two double decker buses side by side.

While such caves are known throughout the world, none are as well formed, extensive, well decorated with lava flow and drip features, or are as geologically instructive as the Jeju caves.