Geopark Kaldera Toba Hit By UNESCO Yellow Card, This Is The Cause And Solution

View of Lake Toba from The Kaldera Toba Nomadic Escape, Pardamean Sibisa, Ajibata, Toba Samosir Regency, North Sumatra. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The provision of yellow cards by UNESCO to the Kaldera Toba Geopark is an important signal that the management of this earth park still requires a lot of improvement.

Status as part of UNESCO Global Geopark is not only prestigious, but also demands a high commitment from stakeholders, from the central government to local communities.

This warning is not just symbolic, but a thorough evaluation of the lack of standards for management, education, and community involvement that should be at the heart of the geopark concept.

Deputy for Destination Development and Infrastructure of the Ministry of Tourism, Hariyanto, revealed that the evaluation of the UNESCO assessment team showed a number of fundamental weaknesses. One of them is the lack of coordination between parties involved in the management of the Kaldera Toba Geopark. In addition, the participation of local communities in educational and tourism activities is considered very minimal.

The UNESCO assessment team also highlighted the absence of standards for conveying information on geological sites. Support facilities are considered inadequate and inadequate, thereby reducing the quality of visitor experience. On the other hand, continuous research activities and public education related to geological wealth, biodiversity, and cultural values are also considered not optimal.

According to Hariyanto, another weakness that is noted is the lack of involvement of the UNESCO Global Geopark Toba Management Agency in international forums initiated by UNESCO. This kind of participation is considered important to maintain the credibility and global network of geoparks.

The main challenge in fulfilling this recommendation is the availability of the budget. For example, to participate in activities in September 2025 in Chile, large costs are needed," he explained.

He added that international training held in countries such as France, Greece, Japan and Morocco also needed financial support so that representatives from natural park managers could actively participate.

Geopark Kaldera Toba received a yellow card at the UNESCO Global Geopark forum which was held in Morocco on September 4'5, 2023. The commemoration is not in the form of formal documents, but rather in the two-year re-evaluation period given so that the manager can correct various aspects that do not meet the standards.

"The yellow card shows that the visibility of geosites is still low and it is necessary to improve so that people better understand the important value of this geopark," said Hariyanto.

As a follow-up, the Ministry of Tourism cooperates with the Provincial Government of North Sumatra and the Geopark Management Agency to make various improvements. One concrete step is the allocation of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) of IDR 56.6 billion in 2024 which is intended for the construction of physical infrastructure and unphysical supporting activities in the Lake Toba area.

The Provincial Government of North Sumatra has also instructed the relevant agencies to provide maximum support in improving the Geopark of Kaldera Toba. Hariyanto ensured that the synergy between local, central and community governments was the main key in maintaining the status of the geopark.

"The local government around Lake Toba has expressed its commitment to accelerate the improvement of the management, conservation and empowerment aspects of the local community according to UNESCO's direction," he said.

Apart from Geopark Kaldera Toba, several other geoparks in the world also received yellow cards in the same year, including Zhijindong Cave in China, Luberon Regional National Park in France, Madonie in Italy, and Colca y Volcanes de Andagua in Peru.