Protect Karst And Caves: Geological Treasures, Ecosystem Fortresses

By Mohamad Harith Mohamad Nizar

IPOH, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Karst areas are one of the wonders of the landscape formed from the natural environment of limestone rocks, creating unique landscapes such as rocky hills, caves and underground drainage.

In Perak's Kinta Valley, the area encompassing the Kinta and Kampar districts has the largest limestone karst landscape in Peninsular Malaysia, covering approximately 1,952 square kilometres and featuring dozens of caves.

In conjunction with the inaugural celebration of the International Day of Caves and Karst today, it is a step to foster awareness of the importance of karst and caves that provide clean water sources, serve as habitats for endemic life and function as carbon sinks.

The declaration of this special day by UNESCO at the end of last year is not just an empty celebration, but rather a starting point for the need to preserve these karst and cave areas from the threat of uncontrolled development.

Kinta Valley Watch activist Ching Boon Tat said that efforts to preserve karst geography or limestone areas containing underground water flow in the Kinta Valley are very important to maintain the unique and irreplaceable natural heritage, especially if limestone hills in the area are destroyed.

He said the karst landscape in the area has its own unique value due to its proximity to the urban area and easy accessibility.

"The preservation of karst geography involving a limestone range approximately 50 kilometres from Sungai Siput Utara to Kampar is extremely critical because any damage to the geological structure will destroy its historical value and natural biodiversity," he said.

It is said that the Kinta Valley, surrounded by the Titiwangsa Range to the east, the Gunung Bujang Melaka to the south, and the Kledang Saiong Range to the west, makes it a unique valley area rich in limestone hills, caves, stalactites and stalagmites.

He said that the level of awareness among the local community regarding the importance and uniqueness of the karst landscape is still low, whereas this geological treasure has high potential to be developed through the tourism, education and cultural sectors.

Therefore, he took the initiative to conduct visual documentation in the limestone hill area as a step to educate the community and preserve the original record of the terrain.

"My task now is to try to record it first. Because in many places, it seems like there are no laws to protect that natural heritage.

"So now I go take pictures from various angles and keep them first. As long as I have the original pictures, I can show the before and after (in case anything happens to the area) on social media," he told Bernama.

Another activist who is also a cave guide, Mohd Zairis Abdul Rani, said the preservation of the cave area is very critical as it is a site for the discovery of various ancient fossils, historical paintings, and a habitat for endemic flora and fauna.

He said that important discoveries such as the ancient elephant fossil (Stegodon) in Gua Kandu, the ancient deer jawbone in the Bukit Mat Surat area, and the discovery of a tiger fossil on the walls of Gua Naga prove that the karst area of the Kinta Valley holds very high historical and archaeological value.

"These limestone caves are not just tourist and recreational sites, but they also play an important role as natural laboratories for scientific research. If not protected by the authorities, this heritage treasure might become extinct, and future generations will only be able to see it through pictures," he said.

According to him, the preservation of limestone hills needs to be tightened through the declaration of protected areas or conservation forests, as has been implemented in certain areas like Gopeng.

That step is important to prevent commercial quarry encroachment in high-risk areas such as Simpang Pulai and around Ipoh.

In addition to their prehistoric value, caves also serve as important shelters and habitats for various animal species, including bats, snakes, ancient insects, brown tarantulas, scorpions, as well as aquatic species like catfish and eels that inhabit the streams and natural pools within the caves, such as in Gua Tarantula, Gunung Lang.

-- BERNAMA