Xitle Volcano Geoheritage, Mexico City: Raising Awareness of Natural Hazards and Environmental Sustainability in Active Volcanic Areas

The conservation of geosites in a region can foster its sustainability and develop geotourism. These provide geoeducation, raise people’s awareness on natural hazards, increase their resilience. Low-income cities located tectonically active areas combine high geohazards with vulnerability low sustainability. Geosites these should be tool to decrease sustainable development. Mexico City is an ideal case study for environmental social issues setting continental volcanic arc. 1700-year-old Xitle volcano, the city’s SW corner, small scoria cone that erupted once, feeding extensive lava field which > 600,000 people now live. lavas are very well exposed due thin soils quarrying. covered first urban center basin, except main pyramid has become major archeological site. have significant geodiversity, sustaining unique biodiverse ecosystem. country’s largest university preserves ecological reserve. We describe four exceptional geosites, assess values, discuss relevance addressing such as nature preservation, sustainability, inequalities, hazards. volcano provides wide range benefits city nonetheless unknown inhabitants. ongoing initiatives disseminate information, Geopedregal site, propose ways this heritage could further protected used by way.