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Geopark Nasional Banyuwangi Has One More Step to Be Geopark Global UNESCO

Jumat, 22 Februari 2019 - 10:05 | 62.11k
Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Geopark Nasional Banyuwangi Development to be Geopark Global UNESCO (UGG) at the Ballroom Hotel Ketapang Indah Banyuwangi. (PHOTO: Roghib Mabrur/TIMES Indonesia)
Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Geopark Nasional Banyuwangi Development to be Geopark Global UNESCO (UGG) at the Ballroom Hotel Ketapang Indah Banyuwangi. (PHOTO: Roghib Mabrur/TIMES Indonesia)

TIMESINDONESIA, BANYUWANGIKemenpar RI (The Ministry of Tourism of Indonesian Republic) held Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the assistant of Infrastructure Development and Ecosystem Deputy and the Tourism Destination Development Deputy. They monitored the plan and implementation of KSPN Ijen and Baluran DSKTB in developing Geopark Nasional Banyuwangi to be Geopark Global UNESCO. This FGD was held in the Ballroom of Hotel Ketapang Indah, Banyuwangi.

This event was attended by the stakeholders, such as Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Banyuwangi Government Tourism, East Java Nature Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), and other communities.

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This event aimed to prepare Geopard Nasional Banyuwangi to be World Geopark or Geopark Global UNESCO (UGG).

UGG gives two quotas of World Geopark submission in each country. Meanwhile in Indonesia, there are 5 national geoparks that would be submitted to be world geopark in this year and next year, such as Banyuwangi, Maros, Gunungkidul, Belitung, and Pongkor.

 “Geopark Banyuwangi is considered to be ready. There are some UGG aspects that have been fulfilled, while the remaining aspects still need to be revalidated. We expect that next year, Banyuwangi will be ready to be the World Geopard,” said Indra Ni Tua, the assistant of Infrastructure Development and Ecosystem Deputy on Thursday (21/02/2019).

Indra Ni Tua also informed the benefits of turning an area into the world geopark, such as improved economical aspect, maintained environment, and the society could be empowered.

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The World Geopark itself aims to conserve the geological and non-geological resources, education, and the local economic value. There are four important things to be the World Geopark, such as international level geological heritage, management, visibility and networking. Banyuwangi has its unique geological and biological aspects, cultural heritage (Using Tribe), and so on.

 “Actually, Banyuwangi has abundant potential of geological heritages, but they are not thoroughly explored. Beside the phenomenon in Ijen Crater, there is socionitif stone, which is a rare type of stone. There are only two stones of the same type in Indonesia, and one of them exists in Banyuwangi,” said Hanang Samodra, the researcher of geological survey from Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Hanang added that there is limestone stretching from Sukabumi, West Java to the east side of Banyuwangi. This limestone was formed around 15 to 20 million years ago. Initially, it was 60 meters under the sea level, but now, it has reached 20 to 100 meters above the sea level.

This unique phenomenon could be considered as a geological heritage as it also has the fossils of the rare animals and stones. This could boost the development of Geopark Nasional Banyuwangi to become Geopark Global UNESCO. (*)

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