East Kalimantan Government Finalises Field Verification for Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat

The Provincial Government of East Kalimantan, together with the Regency Governments of East Kutai and Berau, is finalising preparations ahead of a field verification of the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat landscape to achieve National Geopark status. East Kalimantan Regional Secretary Sri Wahyuni explained in Samarinda on Friday that the National Geopark Verification Team is scheduled to conduct the field visit from 6 to 10 July 2026. This verification is a crucial and decisive phase before the central government makes its final decision. “We request all regional apparatus at the provincial and regency levels to prepare the assessment indicator aspects in detail. Show that we are truly ready to bring the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Geopark to the world stage,” said Sri Wahyuni. Over five days, the team will survey a number of strategic points across the two regencies. In East Kutai, they will review the natural phenomenon of the Tangga Bidadari Spring in the Selangkau area, evaluate environmental education at SD Negeri 002 Kaliorang, an Adiwiyata School, and inspect the tourism potential of the Hot Springs in Karangan Village. Meanwhile, the assessment in Berau Regency will focus on the Pemapak Hot Springs in Bapinang Village, as well as the exploration of coastal tourism areas and prehistoric karst landscapes in the districts of Kelay, Biduk-Biduk, Batu Putih, Biatan, and Tabalar. To conclude the evaluation series, the verification team is scheduled to present the comprehensive field verification results at a final exposition event in Tanjung Redeb, Berau. The East Kalimantan Provincial Government is optimistic that this validation will proceed smoothly and become an important springboard to secure global recognition from UNESCO in the future. The Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Geopark area is a giant earth park stretching between East Kutai and Berau. The area is proposed as a National Geopark because it possesses one of the most beautiful, largest, and most important karst landscapes in the world, combining three main pillars: geology, biodiversity, and culture. The official proposal process for this landscape began in 2019, with the East Kalimantan Provincial Government collaborating with the Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation to initiate the proposal through an initial geological diversity inventory. In 2024, this effort bore fruit with the issuance of a Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree designating the area as a Geological Heritage Site, encompassing 26 heritage areas as a legal and scientific foundation. In 2026, the proposal enters the final crucial phase through direct document and field readiness verification by the National Geopark Verification Team on 6–10 July 2026, before official designation by the central government.