Jafry (centre) during the launch of the International Seminar on Aspiring Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
KOTA KINABALU: Kinabalu Park is expected to be declared a Unesco Global Geopark site by 2022.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Jafry Arifin said that the recognition will mark Sabah’s new history, having three declared Unesco sites along and within the Crocker Range, also known as the backbone of Sabah.
He said that Kinabalu Park was declared by Unesco as the first Natural World Heritage site in Malaysia 20 years ago due to its biodiversity’s Outstanding Universal Values (OUV).
“Kinabalu Park is high in endemic flora and fauna species, which can only be found within the park area.
This OUV has placed the park as one of the highly important mega biodiversity sites in the world,” he said at the International Seminar on Aspiring Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
Jafry said that Kinabalu Park has become one of the excellent examples of protection and management of parks and protected areas in the Southeast Asian region.
“Annually, for the past 10 years, Kinabalu Park has attracted more than 700,000 visitors worldwide, making it one of the most significant contributors to Sabah and local communities living around the park. In 2015 another Unesco site, the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve was enlisted under the Man and Biosphere programme of Unesco,” he said.
He added that since 2014, Sabah Parks and the Mineral and Geoscience Malaysia Department, Geology experts from the National University Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and several key stakeholders such as district officer of Ranau, Kota Belud and Kota Marudu have been working closely to identify and propose an area to be declared at Kinabalu Geopark site.
“The final proposed Kinabalu Geopark covered an area of 4,750 square kilometers, composed of Kinabalu Park, the district of Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Ranau.
“Subsequently, on March 18, 2020, with all the necessary works and processes done, the government of Sabah has agreed that the proposed area of Kinabalu Geopark be declared as National Geopark,” he said.
He explained that the recognition encourages new motivation and value-adds the existing socio-ecotourism-based activities by enriching the site with geological heritage values.
“This recognition has qualified Kinabalu Geopark to be listed as an aspiring Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark and awaiting its evaluation as a Unesco Global Geopark in July or August 2021.
“I believe Kinabalu Geopark, with its outstanding international geological values, will pass the evaluation process and be declared a Unesco Global Geopark site, hopefully in the year 2022,” he said.
He also said that one of his ministry’s current mandates is to strengthen Sabah’s tourism industry, the primary national and state economic development and income-generating industry that attracts foreign investors.
“Kinabalu Geopark, being a National and a Unesco Global Geopark, is at the right time for the right reasons.”
In a press conference, Jafry said that only two companies in Sabah applied for the travel bubble initiative, including a scuba diving company based in Semporna.
He said that approval has already been given and that this means the scuba diving company can start accepting visitors, including those from Kota Kinabalu which is located in another zone.
“There are six zones in Sabah,” he explained.
Residents within a zone can travel in districts that are within their respective zone.
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