Lake Toba is a large natural lake in Indonesia which is in the caldera of Mount Supervolcano. With a length of 100 kilometers, a width of 30 kilometers, a depth of 508 meters, and a surface elevation of about 900 meters, Toba is at the center and center of the northern part of the island of Sumatra.
Economically, the role of Lake Toba is very important for the people around it because it functions as a fulfillment of domestic needs as well as cultivation and agricultural activities. Apart from that, it is a tourist destination managed by the community under the supervision of the local government.
The Toba Caldera, which was formed from a supervolcano explosion 74,000 years ago, has a completely water base, making it the largest lake in Indonesia. The beauty of the Toba Caldera with the rich culture of the people on its shores has made Lake Toba one of Indonesia’s mainstay tourist destinations on the ’10 New Bali’ list.
In July 2020 the Toba Caldera was designated a Global Geopark by the UNESCO Executive Board through its 209th session in Paris. The Toba Caldera made it into the list of 16 new UNESCO Global Geoparks after being assessed and decided by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council at the IV UNESCO Global Geoparks International Conference in Lombok, Indonesia, on 31 August-2 September 2019.
The designation of the Toba Caldera as a UNESCO Global Geopark is through a long process of joint efforts by various stakeholders, both the Central and Regional Governments as well as local communities living in the Lake Toba area.
The preparation process for obtaining UNESCO recognition for the Toba Caldera, demonstrated high commitment and good cooperation from all parties in Indonesia, from data collection, organizing various workshops, preparation, to negotiating nomination documents to be submitted to UNESCO.
The Indonesian government has succeeded in convincing UNESCO that the Toba Caldera has high geological and traditional heritage links with local communities, especially in terms of culture and biodiversity. It is in this context that UNESCO member countries support the Toba Caldera to be preserved and protected as a World Heritage.
Through this designation, Indonesia can develop the Toba Caldera geopark through the Global Geoparks Network and the Asia Pacific Geoparks Network, especially in terms of empowering local communities.
After being designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG), now approaching two years later how can the Provincial Government of North Sumatra prepare a master plan for the development of the Toba Caldera Geopark so that development plans in the Toba Caldera Geopark area can be integrated with each other
The Indonesian Cyber Media Union (SMSI) together with various other parties, highlighted this and have planned a series of activities in an effort to help protect the Toba Caldera Geopark as a world heritage.
SMSI is the largest cyber media organization in Indonesia
So far, exploration activities have been carried out in areas that have the potential to be developed as tourist destinations. In addition to doing various social programs and community empowerment.
SMSI sees that the establishment of the Toba Caldera as a UNESCO Global Geopark has provided an opportunity and at the same time a responsibility for Indonesia, especially for the local community. This determination can encourage economic development and sustainable development in the region. Through the development of sustainable geo-tourism, opportunities are opened for local communities to promote culture, local products, and create wider employment opportunities.
At the same time, with the world’s recognition and attention to the Toba Caldera, there are consequences for the government and the local community to improve and continue to maintain environmental sustainability and the integrity of the Toba Caldera area.
Lake Toba can be a source of income for the community with high potential to be developed as a destination. Integrating three main potentials namely geodiversity, biodiversity, and cultural diversity, Lake Toba has an important role in supporting Indonesia’s tourism sector.
The series of activities that will be held by SMSI are the Lake Toba Geopark Expedition Mission which will take place from 3 to 6 January 2020 preceded by seminars and discussions on the same theme, followed by dialogue with the regents of the seven regencies around the lake.
“Our hope is that when we go down to Lake Toba, we can stop at the seven regencies that are crossed, we will campaign to them that this lake has dignity and has value, besides being historical, it is also glorified because in the span of thousands of years it has built civilization,” said the general chairman of SMSI Firdaus who immediately jumped in to lead the expedition.
The expedition mission will see four main paddlers traverse the lake for 130 kilometers. The team will also assist tourism villages that already exist around the lake to be further developed as well as mapping their tourism potentials.
“For example, we can add water sports tourism packages. The hope is that when there are lots of activities on the lake, people will feel uncomfortable throwing garbage into the lake and its surroundings,” said Firdaus.
“Well, Toba must provide more benefits to the community. If the lake becomes a livelihood, then money will flow to the village, the village has reasons to protect the lake as a world heritage,” added Firdaus.
Anang Fadhilah
