This research is about geodiversity. It takes the case study of coastal landscapes in Malta to consider the way that geodiversity is valued and how it might be conserved. Geodiversity refers to the variety of geological (rocks, fossils, minerals), geomorphological (landforms and processes) and soil features (Gray, 2004). Conservation is crucial to protect the value that tourists and locals hold for places and geodiversity. This research concentrates on five main place-based values; Functional, Appearance, Cultural, Research, and Educational. Coastal environments were explored as 96% of all accessible coastline in the Malta being developed and 21% of its total coastline no longer retains its natural features (Deidun, 2010; MEPA, 2006; Anderson & Schembri, 1989. The need for the Maltese people to protect their geodiversity is enhanced by the fact that global tourists specifically travel to the island to visit its coastal environments. There is no previous research into people’s values of geodiversity in Malta.
The objective was to identify stakeholder views of Malta’s geodiversity. This resulted in the following aims (1) discover the values stakeholders associate with geodiversity (2) discover the threats stakeholders notice to geodiversity (3) discover conservation needs recognised by stakeholders. The research contrasted the views of locals and residents, female’s vs males and identified site specific differences
