YANGON (Xinhua): Myanmar authorities are working towards the accession of the country's Mount Popa National Geopark to the UNESCO Global Geoparks list, an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation said on Monday.
"After designating it as Mount Popa National Geopark in December last year, we are working to meet the requirements for the UNESCO Global Geoparks status," Daw Zin Mar Tun, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry, told Xinhua.
"We are now establishing more geo sites to meet the criteria for the global geopark status," she said. The Mount Popa National Geopark currently has 15 geo sites.
If Mount Popa National Geopark gets the UNESCO Global Geopark status, it will attract more international tourists and help promote geo-tourism. This scenario will also help local people earn more money and create job opportunities, she added.
Mount Popa is a dormant volcano standing 1,518 meters above sea level. It is located in central Myanmar's Mandalay Region, about 50 km southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. - Xinhua
