Methodological proposal for the valorization of the geodiversity of rural areas comparable with the zat valley

This chapter shows, in a synthetic way, the main contributions to the GEOPARK Project of a team of the Department of Geology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. It focuses on the values of the geodiversity of the Zat Valley and the surroundings. A methodological proposal is presented for the realization of an inventory and the valuation of the geodiversity, which may be suitable for the eventual implementation of a UNESCO Global Geopark in this study area and comparable rural areas. In order to elaborate a methodological proposal, the authors started from the study of the local geodiversity, combining the review of the literature on inventories and geoconservation, within the framework of the UNESCO geoparks, with the fieldwork in collaboration with local experts in nature sciences and tourism. The data collected from these activities have been used in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis to obtain a diagnosis of the study area.