SABAH is celebrating this year after the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) recognised Sabah as the third Unesco location after Shennongjia (China) and Jeju Island (Korea) with Unesco Triple Crown sites on May 24, 2023.
The World Heritage Site, established on 2 December 2000, the Unesco Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, and Kinabalu National Geopark, all of which are in Kinabalu Park, are together known as Sabah’s Unesco Triple Crowns (Bernama, May 2023).
This is in accordance with a few regions that were identified and designated as National Geopark areas on March 18, 2023, involving 46 geosites, 12 biosites, and 8 cultural sites (Sinar Harian, May 2023).
It spans three (3) districts, namely Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, and a portion of Ranau district, with a total area of 4,750 square kilometres. From July 18 to July 21, 2022, the Unesco Global Geopark (UGGp) network review panel evaluated the National Geopark region.