Understanding Geodiversity for Sustainable Development in the Chinchiná River Basin, Caldas, Colombia

Geodiversity, comprising both endogenous and exogenous geological processes, plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and functionality of natural systems, alongside its substantial impact on human well-being. However, the often-overlooked interconnection between geodiversity components limits our comprehension of geosystems. In the Chinchiná River Basin (CRB) in Colombia, located in the northern Andes in South America, we established criteria to differentiate geodiversity classes, calculated indices to understand the distribution of geological elements, and discussed systemic relationships. This comprehensive approach lays the foundation for a holistic comprehension of the territory’s structure and functionality. Our findings revealed the convergence in an area of 1052 km² of 10 rock types, 7 slope ranges, 13 landforms, 5 drainage density features, 610.4 km of faults with 9 kinematic tendencies, 5 soil orders, 5 climate types, a 3328 km surface drainage network with 7 hydrographic orders, 1 underground aquifer, 4 areas with lakes, 2 zones with glaciers, 27 polygenetic and monogenetic volcanoes, and several thermal springs. This discussion explores the implications of various methodologies used to establish the value of the general geodiversity index while also examining the relationships between abiotic elements and their distribution patterns. This forms a fundamental basis for understanding the geosystem services of the basin in terms of regulation, support, and provisioning processes, as well as the culture and knowledge derived from geodiversity. These conceptual elements are indispensable for enhancing the sustainability of a region that is susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, they serve as the foundations for the objective’s achievement, as set by the UNESCO Global Geopark project “Volcán del Ruiz”, currently ongoing within the region.