UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst

The UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand has today unanimously proclaimed the International Day of Caves and Karst, to be celebrated worldwide on 13 September. The initiative was proposed by the Republic of Slovenia, following the proposal of the International Union of Speleology (UIS) based in Postojna, in close cooperation with the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Slovenia to UNESCO in Paris.

Caves and karst cover about one-fifth of the Earth’s land surface and provide drinking water for more than a billion people. Yet these hidden landscapes remain little known, fragile, and often insufficiently protected. The new international day will serve to raise awareness, promote research, education, and conservation of karst environments.

With more than 15,800 registered caves, a rich karst heritage, and institutions such as the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU and the UIS headquarters in Postojna, Slovenia has received great recognition for its long-standing scientific and speleological work.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to the Permanent Delegation of Slovenia to UNESCO in Paris, whose outstanding diplomatic efforts ensured broad international support and unanimous adoption of the initiative at the UNESCO General Conference.

Gratitude is also extended to the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, the UIS, and all Slovenian and international partners who believed in the importance of caves and karst for our planet.

The proclamation of the International Day of Caves and Karst represents a remarkable achievement of Slovenian science, diplomacy, and global cooperation in protecting our underground heritage.

International supporters of the initiative include:
The International Science Council (ISC), IUCN, and UNESCO programmes IGGP, MAB, and IHP, along with more than 150 scientific and speleological organizations, academies, and universities worldwide.