KUCHING, Jan 17 — The Sarawak Delta Geopark (SDGp), a 311,246-hectare geological heritage site in the southern part of the state will be evaluated by the National Geopark Evaluation Committee on January 19 until 21 to seek recognition as a national geopark.
Sarawak Natural Resources and Urban Development Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said geology expert Prof Dr Felix Tongkul from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and biology expert Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Tajuddin Abdullah from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) would conduct the evaluation.
“This evaluation session is important in the effort of the government to obtain recognition of SDGp as a national geopark and subsequently at the international level to protect and preserve geological heritage, biodiversity, history and culture through the sustainable development concept,” he said in a statement today.
He said SDGp encompassed the Kuching, Bau, Padawan and Siburan districts which had many geological and geomorphological features with high geo-heritage values to be recognised as a geopark at the national and international levels.
“The state government had approved the proposal to recognise the Sarawak Delta Geopark as a national geopark and subsequently Unesco global geopark in November 2019 at the Sarawak Cultural Village,” he added.
Len Talif said the geopark would provide an integrated regional development mechanism encompassing natural heritage conservation as well as economic and community development based on geological heritage resources.
In the effort to develop SDGp, he said the state government would stress on the aspects of preservation and conservation of heritage, economic and community development by integrating nature and conservation of cultural heritage as a balanced entity.
“Through a geosite development initiative, it will indirectly develop the socio-economy of the populace through geotourism in the area,” he added. — Bernama