Study Finds Africa Underrepresented in Geoheritage Research

Africa’s landscapes, from South Africa’s Vredefort meteorite-impact site to Tanzania’s Ngorongoro-Lengai region, preserve evidence of ancient climates, vanished environments, human origins, and changes in Earth’s surface. Yet much of this geoheritage remains poorly documented and unevenly protected, limiting its visibility, particularly online, to researchers, educators, visitors, and funders. A recent study of Scopus and Web of Science records found that Africa accounted for fewer than 4% of indexed geoheritage publications from 2001 to 2025. An expert argues that digital tools—including GIS, satellite imagery, drones, 3D modeling, and virtual reality—can help address this gap by creating searchable inventories, monitoring threats, and broadening access to geological sites. Greater visibility can help attract research funding and provide better evidence for conservation and decision-making. Crucially, local communities must help document, interpret, and protect the landscapes that carry their histories and identities.