The serious effort by the Sikka Regency Government, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), to recognize the diversity of geopark potential is ongoing.
Through a collaborative study with the UGM Center for Tourism Studies (Puspar UGM), the Sikka Regency Development and Planning Agency (Bapperida) held an initial Focus Group Discussion (FGD) for the Study on the Development of the Master Plan for the Sikka Geopark at the Sikka Regency Office on Friday (Oct. 25).
Agus Hendratno, a lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Engineering’s Geological Engineering Department and head of Puspar’s expert team, stated that Sikka’s geological uniqueness possesses extraordinary value in terms of formations, geometry, and the history of Quaternary and Tertiary volcanic landscapes.
According to Hendratno, the Maumere Bay Marine Nature Park (TWAL) has long been renowned, as has Mount Egon, which attracts special interest tourists who climb the volcano to observe the volcanic phenomena at its active crater.
“It is only fitting that all parties be actively involved in promoting the Sikka Geopark’s National Geopark initiative to a global level,” he said.
Nevertheless, Hendratno emphasized that the development of this geopark must be based on the three core pillars of geoconservation: conservation, education, and economic empowerment.
From the geoheritage mapping identification, he highlighted two geological dimensions that strengthen the uniqueness of the Ancient Volcanic Geopark in Sikka Regency: the marine and terrestrial dimensions.
Further, Hendratno stressed that the earthquake and tsunami that struck Maumere Bay, Sikka Regency, on Dec. 12, 1992, left geological traces that should be a source of learning.
In Koja Doi Village, part of the ancient volcanic island chain in Maumere Bay, remnants of earthquake and tsunami damage and ground subsidence due to liquefaction can still be found.
This village is near the epicenter of the 7.8 magnitude tectonic earthquake on Babi Island (an ancient volcanic island).
“The cracks in the shallow waters around Babi Island are still visible from a boat when crossing to visit the Pangabatang Islands for marine tourism. The fault lines in the shallow waters of Babi Island have now become a diving spot for both international and domestic tourists,” he explained.
Fitrinita Kristiani, Assistant I of Government and Social Welfare in Sikka, welcomed Bapperida’s initiative to promote the potential of the Sikka Geopark as a means to introduce Maumere on a global scale. Through this study, she hopes to elevate local potential.
“We are confident that the diverse geological potential, both under the sea and on land, is rich in educational value. We also believe that the unique culture of the ethnic groups in Sikka will enhance the geoheritage products spread across 19 sites,” she said.
Dr. Destha Titi Raharjana, a member of the Puspar UGM team, added that the diversity and uniqueness of the rocks, or geodiversity, and the supporting potential of cultural diversity will strengthen the storytelling aspect of the geopark development model.
Thus, he said, the regency government, through the Tourism Office, needs to produce a guidebook on the toponyms and legends of potential geoheritage sites.
“This pocketbook will later serve as a reference to enrich the knowledge of tour guides in Sikka Regency,” he added.
Kurnia Fahmy Ilmawan, a researcher at Puspar UGM, explained that the geological heritage in Sikka Regency spans from the sea floor to the mountain peaks across eight subdistricts: Paga, Mego, Magepanda, Palue, Bola, Doreng, Waigete, and East Alok.
This condition shows the wealth of geological heritage that must be wisely managed for conservation, education, and the economic empowerment of the local community. The geological heritage has influenced the culture and livelihood of the people in Sikka Regency.
One geosite included in Sikka Regency’s geoheritage is Ogor Paret Beach in Woloterang Village, Doreng Subdistrict. Ogor Paret Beach is a rocky beach formed by an andesitic lava flow that solidified quickly due to contact with seawater during cooling and is exposed to massive compressive faults.
“Recognizing the natural beauty and geological uniqueness of Ogor Paret Beach, the Tourism Awareness Group has begun to develop Ogor Paret as a tourist attraction. The development of this master plan is expected to positively impact the community and the surrounding area of the Ogor Paret geoheritage site,” he explained.
Regarding cultural diversity, Arkan Syafera, an assistant researcher, discovered that Sikka’s cultural wealth is the result of activities by various ethnic groups in Maumere, namely the Sikka-Krowe, Lio, Bajo, Palue, Tana-ai, and Muhang ethnic groups, which are further divided into sub-ethnicities.
Each ethnic group is unique in terms of language or dialect, weaving motifs, dances, rituals/ceremonies, folklore, and more.
Some of these have already been performed against the backdrop of geosites, such as the poem that developed around the Hokor Lava Dome Cliff geosite, which reads: “Hokor Watu Apar, guman gogo leron tolor, tubu nane rebu, kota nane korak, ponun puan helang ilin, ga ata maten gateng ata moret.”
(Hokor, the stony village, night falls – day tumbles, walled in iron, laid out on shells, the origin of the djinn from the mountains, devouring the dead, challenging the living).
This poem tells the story of the Hokor people, who inhabited a stone village and were always victorious in battle. This later inspired the Bebing Dance as a symbol of heroism in their ancestors’ struggle to defend their territory in Hokor.
In Syafera’s view, such cultural products make geosites more interesting to visit, enjoy, and study. Additionally, local creative products such as woven fabrics, cocoa, coffee, and others can be developed as geoproducts to complement the geotrail that will be formulated.
The Sikka Regency government has designated its woven fabrics as a Geographical Indication product.
“I believe it is also important to include information on geobiodiversity, presenting the diversity of endemic flora and fauna, to complement the geopark that Sikka Regency is proposing to the central government,” said Syafera.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Shutterstock
Post-editor: Afif