KUCHING: Sarawak hopes the Sarawak Delta Geopark (SDGp) will be recognised at the global level.
“I also hope that the Development Working Group chaired by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) will coordinate the preparation of the SDGp Development and Management Plan as planned this year in preparation for us to be recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark,” said
Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He was officiating at the launch of the SDGp Expedition 2023 at the Bau Civic Centre here yesterday (Mar 20).
SDGp was recognised as the country’s sixth national geopark on June 20 last year.
“The state government hopes the recognition of SDGp as a national geopark and subsequently, at the global level, can drive socioeconomic development for Sarawak and its people,” Len Talif said
“It is hoped that the existence of the Geopark brand will boost the tourism industry in Sarawak and the state’s reputation for preserving its treasures.
“We also hope that one day, the SDGp can stand on par with other geoparks around the world,” he said.
Len Talif also urged the local authorities to ensure that the development of infrastructure in the SDGp was done according to the requirements of a geopark.
“Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) needs to ensure that the management of geosites and biosites within the Fully Protected Area is carried out according to the guidelines that have been set and using the geopark status to promote national parks,” he said.
Len Talif said the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts needed to promote SDGp in tourism packages and further explore products such as natural beauty and geology, especially in potential geotrails.
“In addition, SDGp needs many storyboards that highlight the morphology of the delta as well as its historical heritage,” he said.
Moving forward, the deputy minister said there would also be collaborations with other national geoparks and UNESCO Global Geoparks through the sistership geopark network, benchmarking visits to learn about geopark management, more engagements with various parties and related programmes.
In the Sarawak Delta Geopark which covered Bau and Padawan, he said, there were already interesting places that had been gazetted as national parks such as Taman Negara Dered Krian, Taman Negara Bungo Range, Wind Cave and Fairy Cave Nature Reserves and Semenggoh Nature Reserve.
“There are also interesting places that involve the local community, for example in the Padawan and Bau areas, and the products that have been developed by the local community should be promoted so that more visitors can visit and thus, generate new incomes for the local community,” he said.
Through the geosite development initiative, Len Talif said geotourism could be developed in the areas concerned.
“Geotourism is a new product that introduces the geological landscape to the community.
“With this, Sarawak will be able to introduce a new product for tourism, namely, geotourism which is expected to increase the arrival of tourists to Sarawak if the product is packaged and promoted correctly.
“An attractive geotourism package will stimulate the tourism industry by increasing Sarawak’s impact through branding the geopark around the world and promoting sustainable tourism,” said Len Talif.
