Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC

Culture Minister highlights UNESCO standards for Maros Geopark

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Yashinta Difa Pramudyani

Makassar, S. Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Culture Minister Fadli Zon emphasized the critical need to safeguard Indonesia's natural wealth and biodiversity, framing environmental conservation as an inseparable pillar of the nation's cultural heritage.

During a working visit to the Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Minister Fadli noted that natural and cultural assets must be viewed as interconnected elements that define a region's identity.

"This geopark possesses extraordinary wealth—in its landscapes, biodiversity and unique features—which form an integral part of the region's identity. Therefore, these assets must be continuously safeguarded, protected, and conserved," Fadli said in a statement released on Thursday.

The minister, who also chairs the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, underscored that maintaining UNESCO Global Geopark status requires strict adherence to international conservation mandates, educational standards, and periodic reporting requirements.

"As a UNESCO Global Geopark, this area bears the responsibility of meeting requirements related to preservation, education, and periodic reporting to UNESCO," he remarked.

During his tour of the 43,077.30-hectare national park—widely celebrated as "The Kingdom of Butterflies"—Fadli pointed to the region’s rich history of scientific inquiry.

He recalled the 19th-century research conducted in Bantimurung by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, whose studies of Sulawesi's unique butterfly species and vegetation helped shape evolutionary theory.

"The butterflies of Bantimurung are a fascinating aspect of Indonesia’s biodiversity. This area was once a research site for Alfred Russel Wallace and is home to unique species that contribute to the natural wealth of Sulawesi," Fadli stated.

"We must ensure that this biodiversity remains preserved through sustained protection and conservation efforts,” he stressed.

Renowned for its dramatic towering karst formations within the Maros-Pangkep region, Bantimurung Bulusaraung serves as a vital ecological and geological sanctuary that also preserves the historical footprints and traditions of local communities.

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