New Indonesian Geoparks

Five Geoparks in Indonesia are expected to follow the trail of Geopark Batur Bali to the Global Geopark Network (GGN) maintained by Unesco.The five are; Sewu Mountain Geopark, Geopark Merangin Jambi, Toba Geopark, Geopark Rajaampat Papua, and Geopark Rinjani.

This was expressed by Secretary of State for the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources Yun Yunus Kusumabrata at the news conference of “Monitoring and Performance Evaluation Geology Board” in 2012 at the Hotel Preanger, Jalan Asia Afrika, Thursday (03/01/2013).

“Currently we are engaged in an intense search for sources that are sustainable and Geological. Diversity of the earth’s right to be the garden of the earth,” said Yunus. He said they were proud of Indonesia registrations of geoparks in the GGN network under Unesco auspices of the United Nations. “Indonesia is the third country in Southeast Asia that successfully promotes the Unesco Geopark Network.

Bali Batur Geopark is currently the pride of all of us,” he said. In Indonesia alone, Yunus said, there are at least 33 potential geoparks. However, in 2013 the Geology Agency will work to promote 5 geoparks to follow Geopark Batur Bali. “Geopark candidates that we will list are the Sewu Mountain Geopark, Geopark Merangin Jambi, Toba Geopark, Geopark Rajaampat Papua, and Geopark Rinjani,” he said.

Unesco Current Geoparks: http://j.mp/TGt5y8 Global Geoparks: http://j.mp/VFMpwc (detik.com)