SAC Vice-Chair Dy PM Vice-Senior General Soe Win attends 3rd coordination meeting of National Land Utilization Council

Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe win, in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Land Utilization Council, addressed its third coordination meeting held in the Ingyin Hall of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in Nay Pyi Taw at 2 pm yesterday.
In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the purpose of the coordination meeting is to discuss the resolutions of the second meeting, the progress of work programmes implemented by the council and future work programmes.
He said that Myanmar covers 261,228 square miles and is the second-largest country in Southeast Asia, that it is rich in aquatic and terrestrial resources and endowed with climatic conditions suitable for farming.
He also pointed out that terrestrial resources are the most fundamental natural resources and they contribute to ecosystem services including food, clean drinking water and biodiversity, at the same time, they are the sources of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
He continued to say that, according to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPPC, 23 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions during the period from 2007 to 2016 was due to agriculture, forests and change in the use of land caused and, therefore, it is necessary for the country to systematically manage terrestrial resources compatible with the move to alleviate climate change. He added that one of the goals of the UN development project (Agenda 2030) is concerned with the protection and long-term use of global ecosystems and forests, prevention of desertification and depletion of soil and biodiversity.
He went on to say that the national land utilization policy required for continuous management of the country’s earthbound resources was published in January 2016, that the policy was drafted with the help of experts from home and abroad and it is necessary to put the policy into action.
He finally urged all those concerned to do their utmost in their respective sectors to be able to successfully implement the tasks of the National Land Utilization Council and only then do sound systems of land management will emerge.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Land Utilization Council members: Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, Dr Thida Oo, Admiral Tin Aung San, U Khin Maung Yi, U Thaung Han, U Myo Myint Oo and U Shwe Lay. Chief ministers of the regions and states also attended the meeting via videoconferencing. — MNA