
Sabah gets Unesco Triple Crown title with recognition of Kinabalu National Geopark
It is now third location worldwide to house three agency-accredited sites
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is now the third in the world to have the “Triple Crown” of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), following the declaration of Kinabalu National Geopark as The Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the decision was made by the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris two days ago, which put Sabah in line with Jeju Island in South Korea and Shennongjia in China, which has three UNESCO heritage sites.
The other two UNESCO “crowns” in Taman Kinabalu Sabah are the World Heritage Site, and the UNESCO Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, which were declared on 2 Dec 2000 and 12 June 2014 respectively.
“This is a good achievement for the State Government under the initiative of Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and Sabah Parks,” said Hajiji in a statement here today.
He said the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark covers an area of 4,750 square kilometers, now officially a Global Geotourism destination, which adds significant value to existing eco-tourism products in Sabah.
“The Geopark has many endemic plants and animals, including 90 species of orchids that are only found on Mount Kinabalu. These include the red-headed partridge that is not found anywhere else on earth.
“..this will certainly bring direct and indirect benefits to Sabah’s socio-economics, especially to more than 290,000 local communities in the districts of Kota Belud, Kota Marudu and Ranau,” he said.
With the declaration of Kinabalu National Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark, there are now 195 geoparks in the world located in 48 countries.
The UNESCO Global Geopark label recognizes geological heritage of international importance and geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their important geological heritage with public outreach, alongside a sustainable approach to development.