GEOLOGICAL, CULTURE AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AS SUPPORTED OF ASPIRING MERATUS GEOPARK TO UGGp
Jatmika Setiawan, Hanifah

UPN Veteran Yogyakarta
Pemerintah Propinsi Kalimantan Selatan

Abstract

Meratus Geopark, South Kalimantan (The Soul of Borneo) as national geopark which was designated on November 18, 2018. The name geopark was chosen because the Meratus Mountain are composed of the oldest offilite rock in Indonesia which occured due to repeated collisions (subduction, collision, and obduction). On surface mountain live the Dayak tribe and the people of SOuth Kalimantan with vairous cultures and varioous kind of native animals and native plants which produce oxygens as the lungs of the world. So the name of The Soul of Borneo was chosen becuase the Meratus Mountain are the heart of the people ot South Kalimantan. The Meratus geopark has an area of around 3,645.01 km2 covering six district/cities, namely Banjarbaru, Banjarmasin, Banjar, Tapin, Hulu Sungai Selatan, dan Barito Kuala, which is divided into four routes namely north, east, south, and west routes, with the total of 54 sites. The Meratus Geopark, South Kalimantan is expected to become a UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) this year bercaus it has several advantages, including the emergence of complete and oldest ophiolite rock in Indonesia (200-90 million year ago) which can be seen in one of them is at the Sultan Adam geosite, plagiogranite rock which only found in 3 places in the world, diamond mining which is the only one in Indonesia (as a geological variation) adn is suppoted by national dan local class. Meanwhile, in the form of biological variation, there area Kalimantan wood tree with diamater between 4 and 6 meters, as well as long-nosed monkey (Proboscis monkeys). Meanwhile, the typical culture of South Kalimantan include floating markets. dayak dances, and handycaraft. Meratus als has superiority because it the first geopark in Kalimantan. Meratus has been verified to get a UGGp rating by KNGI team and UNESCO assesors. The development of the Meratus geopark from the national level to UGGp is expected to develop conservation, sustainable development and improve economy.

Keywords: Meratus Geopark, UGGp, South Kalimantan

Topic: Geoconservation