V-th INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
“Karst under protection – gift for the future generations“
Sofia, Bulragia 2021-2022
The fifth edition of the competition covered the period August 2021 - April 2022 and is included in the program of the International Year of Caves and Karst („International Year of Caves and Karst“, IYCK), announced by the International Union of Speleology (International Union of Speleology, UIS) under the motto "Explore, Understand and Protect".
The competition offered 18 rubrics, divided into 5 categories of participants according to the diverse palette of their interests and capabilities. The six traditional criteria for evaluating the competition works are of proven effectiveness, and the evaluation is once again assigned to an authoritative and impartial international jury.
The conpetition has sustained popularity. In the four editions held so far (2005, 2012, 2015 and 2019), 576 authors from 20 countries took part. A total of 102 prizes were awarded. In the fifth edition of the competition, despite the alarming situation in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, 252 authors from 9 countries participated, who presented 145 competition works.
Let's continue to rediscover karst with joint efforts and popularize it among people with your original works - they deserve to know more about this natural phenomenon. Not only because it is unique and attractive and still hides many secrets, but also because it is widespread, and its essence and specificity continue to be insultingly unknown by our contemporaries.