"This is an effective means to promote Indonesia and NTB at nasional and internasional levels," Anton Setyo Nugroho said.Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The Sixth Asia Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) Symposium will be organized in Geopark Rinjani, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara )NTB) Province, from Aug 30 to Sept 6, 2019.
"We propose two national geoparks - Belitung and Toba, to be discussed for inclusion in the UNESCO global geoparks list, during the APGN meeting in Lombok," Anton Setyo Nugroho, head of the Maritime Innovation Network Department of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Office, concurrently Secretary of the Indonesian National Geoparks Committee, said here on Thursday.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will decide whether to accept Indonesia's proposals during the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network (UGGN) meeting to be held in Paris, France , in April 2020.
Out of Indonesia's 15 national geoparks, four geoparks - Batur in Bali, Ciletuh-Pelabuhanratu in West Java, Gunung Sewu in Yogyakarta, and Rinjani in NTB, have been included in the List of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp).
At least 110 regions across Indonesia have the potential to be developed into geoparks, he said. The number is small compared to China which has 220 national geoparks, and 39 of them have been included in the List of UGGp.
"However, we must be proud of becoming the only country that has issued a Presidential Regulation on geopark development, notably the Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No 9 Year 2019 on National Geopark management, institution and budget," he remarked.
About 800 people including scientists from France, Greece, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and China, are expected to participate in the symposium. Other participants will include geoparks managers, scientists and the government representatives from all over the world .
The theme of the Sixth APGN will be “UNESCO Global Geoparks Toward Sustaining Local Communities and Reducing Geohazard Risk”. The symposium will discuss five related topics, namely empowering local socio-economic for sustainable development; engaging communities, geohazard risk and recovery; popularizing scientific knowledge for public education; and promoting aspiring global geoparks & networking volcanic landscape global geoparks”.
Participants from Asia-Pacific countries will get together to share knowledge about the natural heritage and mitigation of geohazard through creative and active engagement.
In parallel with the symposium, the fourth UNESCO Global Geoparks Council meeting will also be organized in Lombok, from Aug 31 to Sept 2, 2019
"This is an effective means to promote Indonesia and NTB at nasional and international levels," Anton Setyo Nugroho said.
Related news: EARTH WIRE -- UNESCO mission to evaluate Ciletuh Geopark by April 2017
Translator: Nur Imansyah, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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