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Mt. Rinjani eyes Global Geopark listing
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Mount Rinjani has attracted considerable tourist numbers thanks to its breathtaking caldera, a crater lake shaped like a crescent moon, known as Segara Anak. (Shutterstock/-)
M
ount Rinjani Geopark in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, will soon be assessed by a verification team from UNESCO and may be included on the organization's Global Geopark list.
National Geopark Task Force head Yunus Kusuma Brata told The Jakarta Post that Rinjani was the only national geopark proposed to UNESCO this year, adding that the 280,000 hectare park boasts a variety of cultural and geological sites.
"On May 17-20, the UNESCO team will visit Lombok to carry out the assessment. The team members include Maurezio Burlando from Italy and Soon Jai Lee from Korea," said Yunus on Friday in Mataram.
The team is scheduled to visit Senaru, a traditional village in North Lombok, the Benang Stokel waterfall located in the vicinity of Aik Berik Village in Central Lombok, and Pusuk Forest in Sembalun, East Lombok.
Yunus said that environment conservation management was the main criteria for inclusion on the list and whether or not this contributed to local welfare and education.
(Read also: Leonardo DiCaprio visits Mt. Leuser National Park)
Indonesia has previously added two of its geoparks, Mount Batur in Bali and Mount Sewu in East Java, to the list. Worldwide, there are 105 UNESCO Geoparks, including 61 in Europe and 31 in China.
Awarded National Geopark status in 2013, Mount Rinjani has attracted considerable tourist numbers thanks to its breathtaking caldera, a crater lake shaped like a crescent moon, known as Segara Anak.
Last year, the park recorded 70,000 visitors, of which 27,000 were foreigners. (kes)
