REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- West Java Provincial Government has announced that it will extend the area of the Geopark Ciletuh. Originally, the area only covers two subdistricts and now will be expanded to eight sub districts in Sukabumi district.
Vice Governor of West Java Deddy Mizwar said, the expansion of National Geopark Ciletuh that belong to West Java can be recognized as a Global Geopark by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017. If there is no territorial expansion, he continued, this target is impossible to be realized.
"So from the Ujung Genteng until Ciptagelar, will become UNESCO Global Geopark Ciletuh Pelabuhan Ratu (Harbor of Queen)," Deddy told to reporters on Sunday (19/6).
Known, Geopark or tourist area of Ciletuh recognized as national geopark in 2015 ago. Ciletuh assessed deserved of being national geopark because it has diversity of geological, biological diversity, and cultural diversity. The National Geopark Ciletuh has area of about 35 thousand hectares. The regions include nine villages in the subdistrict Ciemas (Village Tamanjaya, Ciwaru, Girimukti, Mekarsakti, Ciemas, Mandrajaya, Cibenda, Sidamulyo, and Mekarjaya), and six villages in the subdistrict Ciracap (Village Gunungbatu, Cikangkung, Mekarsari, Ujungggenteng, Pangumbahan, and Purwasedar).
Besides to expand the area, the communities living near Geopark must be involved in maintaining the beauty and preservation of Ciletuh, namely, how to educate people to be ready to manage an international tourist.
Improvement of infrastructure and the presence Citarate Airport, he continued, became basic thing that needed by national geopark, because the presence of these infrastructure can support the development of National Geopark Ciletuh.