UNESCO to Consider Five Indonesian Geoparks as World Heritage Sites

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will examine five Indonesian geoparks proposed as world heritage sites.


The sites are

· Merangin geopark with its flora and fauna fossils from up to 290 million years ago in Jambi

· Toba lake, which is one of the largest caldera in the world, in North Sumatra

  
· Raja Ampat Islands with its coral reefs in West Papua

· Mount Sewu with its karts caves and historical heritage in the border of Central Java and East Java

· Mount Rinjani with its lake Segara Anak in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara


Head of geology at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, R Sukhyar, said on Friday that a team from UNESCO would visit the sites in November.

Sukhyar said Batur Lake Geopark in Bali, is Indonesia’s only World Heritage Site, and just received UNESCO recognition in September.

The government hope the recognition will bring economic benefits for local people through geo-tourism approach.

UNESCO has recognised 91 geoparks around the world, 27 of which are in China.

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