Geopark Rinjani Lombok Back to Stock Green Cards from UNESCO

The landscape of Mount Rinjani seen from Sembalun Village in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. ANTARA/Sugiharto Purnama

MATARAM - The Rinjani-Lombok Geopark managed to maintain its UNESCO Global Geopark status by obtaining a Green Card for the second time in the international revalidation process which took place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on April 28.

General Manager of Rinjani Geopark, Qwadru Putro Wicaksono said that maintaining the status was much more challenging than achieving it for the first time.

"The second green card is the world's recognition of the collective hard work of all stakeholders in West Nusa Tenggara," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, April 28.

Qwadru said the success in maintaining the status was proof that the management of the Rinjani-Lombok Geopark still met global standards in terms of conservation, education, and economic empowerment of the community.

The revalidation process is carried out in full by UNESCO assessors. They not only assess the aspects of natural beauty, but also the real impact on the welfare of the community in the area around Mount Rinjani.

The management of the geopark or earth park has recorded various innovations over the past four years, especially in the field of education through the integration of geopark materials into local curricula in schools as well as strengthening geological literacy in communities.

The aspect of disaster mitigation is a significant added value considering that Lombok is in a region prone to tectonic earthquakes. The integration of geological knowledge for the safety of tourists and local residents is a priority that is appreciated by the UNESCO assessor team.

During the certificate handover ceremony in Paris, the Indonesian Ambassador to France, Mohamad Oemar, emphasized that the Rinjani-Lombok Geopark was not only a tourist destination, but also a vital natural laboratory for world science.

He called Rinjani a jewel in the network of world earth parks owned by Indonesia.

The Indonesian government is committed to continue supporting the promotion of various geoparks and water resources in international forums. The success of Rinjani-Lombok is expected to be a driver for other earth parks in Indonesia that will face a similar revalidation process.