Indonesian minister urges compliance with UNESCO rules at Maros geopark
Culture Minister Fadli Zon linked biodiversity protection with cultural heritage during a visit to Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in South Sulawesi.
Indonesia’s Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the Maros geopark must meet UNESCO’s conservation, education and reporting requirements to retain its global geopark status, while calling for continued protection of the area’s biodiversity.
Fadli made the remarks during a working visit to Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi. In a statement, he said the region’s landscapes and wildlife were part of its cultural identity and should be protected together with its cultural assets.
The minister, who also chairs the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, toured the 43,077.30-hectare park and highlighted its scientific history. He recalled British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace’s 19th-century research in Bantimurung, saying his work on Sulawesi’s butterflies and vegetation contributed to the development of evolutionary theory.
Fadli called for sustained conservation efforts to preserve that biodiversity. The park, known for the towering karst formations of the Maros-Pangkep region, protects ecological and geological features alongside traces of local communities’ history and traditions.
