Towards National Geopark Status, Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Stores 275.57 Gigatons of Carbon

The effort to designate the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat landscape in East Kalimantan Province as a National Geopark has reached an important stage. The National Geopark Verification Team from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) conducted field verification from 6–10 July 2026 to assess the readiness of the area proposed as a National Geopark.

The Regional Secretary of East Kalimantan Province, Sri Wahyuni, stated that this field verification is a crucial step because the results will be a key consideration for the government in designating Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat as a National Geopark. “In addition to assessing geological wealth, the verification team will also review area management, biodiversity conservation, community involvement, and local economic development, which are the main requirements for sustainable geopark management,” said Sri while welcoming the verification team in Samarinda on 6 July 2026.

Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat is one of the world’s significant karst landscapes, spanning the two regencies of East Kutai and Berau. The 1.8-million-hectare geopark area holds unique geological wealth and serves as a habitat for important species, as well as a living space for communities that preserve high-value cultural heritage. These advantages fulfill the three main pillars of a geopark: geology, biodiversity, and culture.

Some of its unique features include ancient rock collections from the Cretaceous period and traces of ancient river delta deposits formed approximately 141 million to 5 million years ago. In addition, the region features diverse karst landscapes and several caves containing prehistoric wall paintings (rock art), evidencing that this area has been a center of human life since prehistoric times.

Sri added that the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat landscape serves as a global climate buffer. Based on research, this area is estimated to store up to 275.57 gigatons of carbon (Gt-C), which is derived predominantly from forest ecosystems and limestone formations. "With this carbon storage, East Kalimantan Province can reduce its emissions by up to 16.04 percent annually and the nation's emissions by 0.74 percent," Sri noted.

A Long Journey and Local Community Involvement

The proposal to establish the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat Geopark began officially in 2019. The East Kalimantan Provincial Government, together with the Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), initiated the proposal through an inventory of geological diversity as the first step in preparing the geopark documents.

This effort bore fruit in 2024 when the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) designated the area a Geological Heritage Site (Geosite). This designation covered 11 geosites in East Kutai Regency and 15 in Berau Regency. It became the scientific and legal basis for applying for National Geopark status.

In line with this proposal process, various conservation and community engagement efforts have been carried out in the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat region. The government, YKAN, and other partners have promoted community-based management approaches through various village (kampung) capacity-building programs, such as the SIGAP Program (Inspirational Citizen Action for Change) and Social Forestry schemes, including Village Forests.

Through these programs, communities are encouraged to develop participatory natural resource management plans, pursue sustainable livelihoods, strengthen village institutions, and protect forests, karst landscapes, and biodiversity, which are integral parts of the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat landscape.

YKAN Senior Manager Niel Makinuddin stated that a geopark’s success depends not only on its natural wealth but also on stakeholders' ability to preserve and manage it sustainably. “In several villages, communities are now at the forefront of protecting forests, prehistoric caves, water sources, and natural tourism destinations within the Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat karst landscape. We see great enthusiasm and commitment from local communities to safeguard the natural heritage they own,” said Niel.

Niel revealed that if Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat achieves National Geopark status, the area could also gain international recognition as a UNESCO Global Geopark. “We hope that National Geopark status will further strengthen conservation efforts and bring greater benefits to local communities,” Niel concluded.