Oltenia de sub Munte: The Romanian region aiming to become a UNESCO geopark

Oltenia de sub Munte, a region in southern Romania, is an aspiring UNESCO geopark as Kogayon Association has been working on getting it the status and give the area the profile it deserves. Florin Stoican, the president of Kogayon Association, told Romania Insider more about the work to turn Oltenia de sub Munte into a UNESCO geopark, how this can help the region develop, and why collaboration is key when it comes to making this happen.

The path to receiving the UNESCO geopark status is more important for Oltenia de sub Munte than the status itself because it means projects and activities that help raise the profile of the area, Florin Stoican explains. A native of Costești, a village in the region, he heads Kogayon Association, the driving force behind the project to turn Oltenia de sub Munte into a UNESCO Geopark. This is not the first time the organization is making things happen in the region, having been involved in the project that saw Buila-Vânturarița, an extremely biodiverse area, become a nature park. It would be the third UNESCO geopark in the country after Țara Hațegului and Ținutul Buzăului.