Over 700,000 acres of 43 mangrove protected public forests conserved: MoNREC

According to U San Myint Tun, deputy director of the Forest Department, more than 700,000 acres of 43 mangrove-protected public forests have been established in order to prevent natural disasters and conserve the marine ecosystem in the coastal areas across the country.
Natural resources and mangrove-protected public forests are developed to protect the biodiversity of tropical forests and allow local people to use forest products continuously, according to the Ministry of Natural Recources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC). Currently, 1,384 reserved and protected public forests have been implemented and conserved.
“The mangrove-protected public forests have been established in coastal areas since the reserved and protected public forests were developed to protect against natural hazards and conserve the marine ecosystem. Through the establishment of this structure, the mangroves will be able to protect the coastal areas from natural disasters, as well as conserve the ecosystem to keep the aquatic animals that will grow up in the mangroves. In fact, the benefits will be achieved if the ecosystem is improved, and waterbirds will come to live and enjoy. In addition, by maintaining this way, we will be able to continuously and systematically extract forest products from the mangroves, to meet the demand of the local people as well as improve the climate and enhance the forest cover area of Myanmar. There are 43 mangrove-protected public forests in Myanmar with a total area of about 716,500 acres,” U Min Maung Soe said.
Forest care and conservation activities such as transplanting mangrove plantations in places where the trees are sparse, dissemination of technology and public knowledge to reduce the destruction of natural forests are being carried out in the mangrove-protected public forests to be able to conserve through awareness activities.
In addition, banks and mangrove forests will be expanded and conserved. — ASH/TKO