Langkawi Geopark will host the fourth biennial Unesco International Conference on Geoparks in 2010.

It beat two other bidders, Araripe Geopark of Brazil and Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark of Greece, to host the event.

The bidding was held at the closing of the third biennial conference in Osnabruck in Germany on Thursday（June 25）.

Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) general manager Datuk Kamarulzaman Abdul Ghani said the achievement strengthened the resort island’s position in the nature, eco- tourism and geo-tourism world map.

“It is a recognition that Langkawi Geopark is among the best in the world,” he said in an SMS text message from Germany.

The first international conference was held in China in 2004, followed by Belfast in 2006, and Osnabruck from June 22 to June 26 this year.

He said the 2010 biennial conference, which allows participants to exchange ideas on development of geoparks on a global scale, would provide opportunities to interested countries to establish geoparks.

“It is poised to attract some 500 participants from 40 countries,” he said.

Langkawi was accepted as part of the Unesco global network of geoparks on June 1 last year.

Geoparks are nature parks where emphasis is given to geological features, biological diversity, management, as well as socio-economic development for locals living in the designated parks.