LANGKAWI: The Sarawak Delta UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) has secured its first international partnership since receiving UNESCO Global Geopark status through a bilateral collaboration with Indonesia’s Meratus UGGp.
The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony held at the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) on Tuesday (Sept 8).
Both geoparks, located on the island of Borneo, hold UNESCO Global Geopark designation, with Meratus UGGp in South Kalimantan Province obtaining the status on April 17, 2025, and Sarawak Delta UGGp on April 24 this year.
“With both geoparks located on the shared island of Borneo, the partnership represents an important step towards strengthening cross-border cooperation in heritage conservation, sustainable development and community advancement,” said the Forest Department Sarawak in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 9).
Through this strategic collaboration, both parties seek to strengthen international cooperation founded on reciprocity, mutual respect and equal partnership, in line with the collaborative spirit promoted by UNESCO.
The MoU outlines a comprehensive range of collaborative initiatives designed to benefit both territories, including heritage conservation, community empowerment, sustainable tourism, education and training, and research.
“Through the exchange of knowledge, expertise and best practices, the partnership is expected to strengthen the capacity of both geoparks while creating greater opportunities for their communities and stakeholders,” it said.
Sarawak Delta UGGp was represented by Irmadiana Ardi, on behalf of department director cum Sarawak Delta UNESCO Global Geopark manager Datuk Hamden Mohammad, while Meratus UGGp was represented by Head of the Tourism Department of South Kalimantan, representing the Meratus UNESCO Global Geopark Management Board, Indonesia Iwan Fitriady.
Also present at the ceremony was Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Julin Alen.
