Multifunctional Role of Geodiversity Interpretation in UNESCO Global Geoparks: A Narrative-Systemic Review

Abstract Geodiversity, which has been second most often to biodiversity, becomes a strategic element in UNESCO Global Geoparks, when interpreted through educational, cultural and participatory narratives. This article builds a narrative-systemic analysis of the literature with the purpose of identifying the main functions of geodiversity interpretation and their relevance for sustainable development. The inquiry was based on selected papers from international academic databases (Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar), categorizing the themes and making an exploratory quantitative analysis for the frequency of occurrence of functions. The results highlighted six main functions of interpretation: educational, touristic, identity, economic, community wellbeing, management and conservation. However, the frequency of their occurrence is uneven, with the literature focusing predominantly on the educational aspect while the other functions are less represented. Based on these results, the article proposes an integrative conceptual framework that repositions the interpretation of geodiversity as cross-cutting, participatory and systemic function, with an essential role in territorial cohesion, the circular economy and participatory governance. In this respect, it is recommended that interpretation be included as a strategic dimension in geopark management policies to enhance socio-ecological and economical resilience.