Kenyir Lake may be next geo-park after Langkawi

KUALA TERENGGANU: After Langkawi, the Kenyir Lake area will become the country's next geo-park if a plan by the Terengganu Government works out.

“The state government will cooperate with the relevant agencies to carry out extensive research aimed at making Kenyir a geo-park,” Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said after opening a geological seminar here yesterday. He said Langkawi is recognised by Unesco as a world-class geological park and Kenyir would follow in its footsteps.

“We are confident of Kenyir's geological heritage and its surrounding areas, including evidence of past human civilisation. “Such findings will surely attract tourists here as the lake's surrounding area also boasts the discovery of dinosaur fossil,” added Ahmad.

He said the state government was prepared to provide the funding to protect and preserve the largest man-made lake in South-East Asia, which has the potential to become a world-class geo-park. “Kenyir Lake has elements of geological heritage such as multiple caves located in the area. “Human skeleton remains aged about 16,000 years old were also discovered in Gua Bewah,” he said.

Kenyir Lake was created in 1985 by the damming of the Kenyir river to build the Sultan Mahmud Power Station. Sharing its border with Kelantan in the west and Pahang in the south, the immense lake covering 260 sq km and containing 340 small islands that were once hilltops and highlands serves as another gateway to Taman Negara. The lake is home to numerous species of freshwater fish and its jungles are home to elephants, tigers and several endangered species.

-thestar online.