
Re-certification of the Kinta Valley as a National Geopark
IPOH: The Kinta Valley Geopark has been re-certified as a National Geopark for a period of five years, said the chairman of the state’s Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee, Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi.
According to him, the re-certification was made last June 20 by the National Geopark Committee for the 2021-2025 session.
He said, it is not easy to get the recognition back and one of the main challenges is that the geopark itself is located within the city of Ipoh.
“One of the challenges is that we have a city in the geopark itself. Most geoparks do not have cities, except for small towns and so on. That is one of the uniqueness of the Kinta Valley Geopark.
“However, that also means that development needs to be planned in parallel with efforts to ensure that the geoparks that we have recognized, and will be recognized later too, are preserved and restored,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after officiating the closing ceremony of the Reskill and Upskill Program of the Basic and Advanced Guide Course@Geoguide Geopark Lembah Kinta, here, yesterday.
Also present were the Director of the Operations Coordination Branch of the Department of Minerals and Geosciences, Nizarul Ikram Abdul Rahim and the Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Perak, Nurmalis Musa.
Nolee Ashilin added, it is very important to create a more comprehensive geopark management plan.
“I understand from the State Park Corporation that they are still in the process of producing a conservation management plan.
“It is to ensure that the Kinta Valley Geopark will be able to maintain the existing site, but at the same time, not restrict the permitted economic activities,” he added.
source – Aida Aziz