THE ROLE OF GEOLOGIST IN SUPPORTING GEOCONSERVATION
THROUGH TAMBORA NATIONAL PARK DEVELOPMENT
Heryadi RACHMAT*1 and Oman ABDURAHMAN1
1Geological Museum, Geological Agency, Jl. Diponegoro 57 Bandung, INDONESIA
*Corresponding Author: heryadirachmat220@gmail.com
Abstract
Mount Tambora (+2851m) which was catastrophically erupted in 1815 is the one of the three calderas in Indonesia, which was formed during 750 years and consecutively built up between Mount Rinjani in 1258 and Mount Krakatau in 1883. The site is situated in Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara as the product of the collision of Eurasian and Australian plates. This setting creates a high geological diversity and provides an opportunity to be developed as national park. Geologist plays an important role to present accurate information about the volcanic formation and process and about the uniqueness of Mount Tambora to support its lifted status to national park. The geologist of Geological Agency carried out several activities to support these objectives since 1998. The outcome of works consists of surveys, seminars, and the preparation of the legal documents related. The development of national park as an alternative tourism is a new paradigm in Indonesia. The purpose in short term is to obtain the geological database over geodiversity of Indonesia while at a long term, it will contribute to geological hazard mitigation through world-class geoconservation. In 2013, The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry has been demanded some geologists from Geological Agency and other related research institutions to collaborate and had been given an order to generate several assessments regarding its emerging status to become a national park in 2015. The effort to this national park status will supposedly give positive impacts to Mount Tambora as a world site which contributes to assemble education and geotourism values in one protected and conserved area.
Keywords: geologist, geoconservation, Tambora national park
The 2nd Join Conference of Utsunomiya University and Universitas Padjadjaran, Nov.24,2017
