Urban Geoheritage Sites Under Strong Anthropogenic Pressure: Example from the Chaohu Lake Region, Hefei, China

Urban geoheritage sites are vulnerable to anthropogenic pressure linked to urbanisation. To understand the necessity of conservation of the geological heritage of the Chaohu Lake region of Hefei (China), the first assessment of the geological sites in the area was undertaken based on in-depth field studies and a literature review. The area possesses significant geoheritage of 16 types, the most important being stratigraphical and palaeontological. In the lake region, geoheritage is being destroyed by rapid and often uncontrolled (even illegal) urbanisation and a shortage of strategies for the popularisation of Earth sciences, as well as the weakness of practical strategies for geo-knowledge transfer and the unsustainable pursuit of economic benefits by government. Many important sites have been damaged and destroyed. Some aesthetic properties have also been lost, reducing the significance of these geological features for tourists, as well as students and researchers. Designation of an official protected zone and possible geopark creation could facilitate efficient conservation of the urban geoheritage of Hefei.