Establishment of National Geopark: National Level Geopark Committee holds meeting

The National Level Geopark Committee held its meeting 1/2023 at the Forest Department on Tuesday. Chairman of the Committee Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Khin Maung Yi said that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has started the Global Geopark Program in 2001 and currently, there have been 195 global geoparks in 48 countries.

Out of the places that have good prospects for designating as the global geopark in Myanmar, it is initially implementing Mt. Poppa to be designated as the global geopark with 15 geological areas as the region occupies ancient iron smelting furnaces, rare bio diversities and elephant fossils. Before proposing to nominate as the global geopark, it must be desginated firstly as the national geopark so that relevant ministries and organizations are undertaking cooperately.

To enlist in the UNESCO, the new geological sites will also be exposed more. He said that establishment of a national-level geopark and designation of a global level geopark can be successfully implemented only when all the local people in addition to academic and research organizations cooperate.

Afterwards, secretary of the Committee and the Vice Chairman of Myanmar Geosciences Society reported on establishment potential geological area, geoparks and global geopark in Myanmar.

Attendees also discussed on implementations for developing Mt. Poppa National Geopark, identifying new geological area and geoparks that have potential to establish a national level geopark and also approved the decisions for future work programs.