JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.79, APRIL 2012 BOOK REVIEW GEOTOURIST MAP OF SRI LANKA. Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka, 2002. Scale: 1:500,000 with Handbook, 35p. Compiled by Pradeep Nalaka Ranasinghe. Geotourism protects the geological and geographical features as well as natural landscapes of a place, its environs, culture, aesthetics and heritage. Geological Tourism is an important component of geotourism that helps to sustain and enhance geoheritage sites. National Geographic Society (NGS) is a trendsetter in this field, with emphasis on geographic sites. NGS brings out maps, guidebooks, photogalleries and videos to promote geotourism to important locales like Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Appalachians, Central Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Arizona desert etc. Preservation of geosites is necessary to save them from filling, bulldozing, road construction, mining, vandalism and other related damages. Research in geotourism has scaled new heights in recent years leading to a landmark publication in 2010 by D. Newsome and R. Dowling (Editors) entitled “Geotourism: the tourism of geology and landscapes” by Goodfellow Publishers, Oxford, 245p. The emerging scene of geotourism highlights the nexus between landscapes, geological phenomena and tourism, and is propagated by magazines like Journal of Heritage Tourism. Many countries have their own geotourism programmes and the culture of geotourism is spreading fast. In India, the Geological Survey of India did pioneering work of identifying geosites called National Geological Monuments for nearly four decades and published a volume in 2001 called the “National Geological Monuments: A Pictorial Atlas” (Special Publication, no.61, 97p) to highlight the geological heritage of the country. Better upkeep and wider publicity would have brought in greater glory to these valuable sites. One of the multiple components of sustainable geotourism is the creation and maintenance of Geoparks. Geopark is defined by UNESCO as a territory encompassing sites of scientific importance in terms of geology, archaeology, ecology and culture. Initiated around 1998, the Geopark concept grew in importance by 2007. Now it has grown into a megaproject called the Global Geopark Network Program of UNESCO in which many countries participate. Countries like China have created more than 24 geoparks. We are yet to make a significant headway in implementing Indian geoparks programme. It is in this context that we should welcome the publication of Geotourist map of Sri Lanka by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) of Sri Lanka on 1:500,000 scale (1 cm = 5 km). The compiler P.N. Ranasinghe with cartographic support by S. Karunadhipathi, and the Director of GSMB (N.P.Wijayananda) as publisher deserve to be commended for their valuable effort. The map indicates geotourist sites in different colours, representing interests in archaeology, geomorphology, geology, geotechnics, mineral deposits and mineral-based industries plotted on major road network. The main map in the centre is flanked by colour photographs and large inset maps of specific locales. The map is accompanied by a handbook (37 p.) that contains a brief review of geology, geomorphology, guide to and description of geosites. Important tourist routes are highlighted. The small-scale, reduced tourist map in the handbook is almost unreadable and may be deleted from future editions. An introduction or preface to the handbook highlighting the aims and objectives, along with a list of the most important or ‘must-see’ sites, and printing in a bigger font would have enhanced the usefulness of the handbook. On the whole the geotourist map of Sri Lanka will increase the tourism potential of the country and will be an invaluable addition to the tourist literature of Sri Lanka. 29/30 Balakrishnan Road M. RAMAKRISHNAN Valmiki Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur Chennai – 60 041 Email:[email protected]

Geotourist Map of Sri Lanka

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JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.79, APRIL 2012

BOOK REVIEW

GEOTOURIST MAP OF SRI LANKA. Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Dehiwala, SriLanka, 2002. Scale: 1:500,000 with Handbook, 35p. Compiled by Pradeep Nalaka Ranasinghe.

Geotourism protects the geological and geographicalfeatures as well as natural landscapes of a place, its environs,culture, aesthetics and heritage. Geological Tourism is animportant component of geotourism that helps to sustainand enhance geoheritage sites. National Geographic Society(NGS) is a trendsetter in this field, with emphasis ongeographic sites. NGS brings out maps, guidebooks,photogalleries and videos to promote geotourism toimportant locales like Yellowstone National Park, GlacierNational Park, Appalachians, Central Cascades, SierraNevada, Arizona desert etc. Preservation of geosites isnecessary to save them from filling, bulldozing, roadconstruction, mining, vandalism and other related damages.Research in geotourism has scaled new heights in recentyears leading to a landmark publication in 2010 by D.Newsome and R. Dowling (Editors) entitled “Geotourism:the tourism of geology and landscapes” by GoodfellowPublishers, Oxford, 245p. The emerging scene of geotourismhighlights the nexus between landscapes, geologicalphenomena and tourism, and is propagated by magazineslike Journal of Heritage Tourism. Many countries have theirown geotourism programmes and the culture of geotourismis spreading fast. In India, the Geological Survey of Indiadid pioneering work of identifying geosites called NationalGeological Monuments for nearly four decades andpublished a volume in 2001 called the “National GeologicalMonuments: A Pictorial Atlas” (Special Publication, no.61,97p) to highlight the geological heritage of the country.Better upkeep and wider publicity would have brought ingreater glory to these valuable sites.

One of the multiple components of sustainablegeotourism is the creation and maintenance of Geoparks.Geopark is defined by UNESCO as a territory encompassingsites of scientific importance in terms of geology,archaeology, ecology and culture. Initiated around 1998,the Geopark concept grew in importance by 2007. Now it

has grown into a megaproject called the Global GeoparkNetwork Program of UNESCO in which many countriesparticipate. Countries like China have created more than 24geoparks. We are yet to make a significant headway inimplementing Indian geoparks programme.

It is in this context that we should welcome thepublication of Geotourist map of Sri Lanka by the GeologicalSurvey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) of Sri Lanka on1:500,000 scale (1 cm = 5 km). The compiler P.N.Ranasinghe with cartographic support by S. Karunadhipathi,and the Director of GSMB (N.P. Wijayananda) as publisherdeserve to be commended for their valuable effort. The mapindicates geotourist sites in different colours, representinginterests in archaeology, geomorphology, geology,geotechnics, mineral deposits and mineral-based industriesplotted on major road network. The main map in the centreis flanked by colour photographs and large inset maps ofspecific locales. The map is accompanied by a handbook(37 p.) that contains a brief review of geology,geomorphology, guide to and description of geosites.Important tourist routes are highlighted. The small-scale,reduced tourist map in the handbook is almost unreadableand may be deleted from future editions. An introduction orpreface to the handbook highlighting the aims and objectives,along with a list of the most important or ‘must-see’ sites,and printing in a bigger font would have enhanced theusefulness of the handbook. On the whole the geotouristmap of Sri Lanka will increase the tourism potential of thecountry and will be an invaluable addition to the touristliterature of Sri Lanka.

29/30 Balakrishnan Road M. RAMAKRISHNAN

Valmiki Nagar, ThiruvanmiyurChennai – 60 041Email:[email protected]