Myanmar, Japan NGOs to jointly reconserve mangrove in cyclone-hit areas

www.chinaview.cn 2008-10-13 09:43:17

YANGON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Myanmar and Japan will cooperate in mangrove reconservation project in Myanmar's cyclone-hit areas, the local weekly Flower News reported Monday.

The four-year project (2009-2013), in which the Myanmar Forest Resources Environmental Development Association (FREDA) will cooperate with a Japanese NGO, is to grow 750 hectares of mangrove.

The two organizations had grown 1,215 hectares of mangrove in the country 10 years ago.


Earlier, two other non-governmental organizations of Myanmar and France have agreed to cooperate in such mangrove work in the region, according to local report.

The project in Bogalay and Ahmar in Ayeyawaddy delta, which will last for three years, includes dissemination of knowledge to local people.

Besides, another environment-conservation-related organization of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also proposed to help Myanmar carry out such reconservation work on Mingmahlagyun sanctuary similarly damaged by the cyclone storm in May this year.

The Mingmahlagyun sanctuary in the Bogalay township is among the six sanctuaries and national parks in Myanmar recognized as ASEAN heritage parks.

Reports said Myanmar will regrow 20,250 hectares of mangrove in the Meinmahlagyun village to resist cyclone attack in the future.

Meinmahlagyun had about 40,500 hectares of mangrove before being hit by the severe storm, of which 30 percent were destroyed during the storm.

Noting that mangrove can mitigate the impact of cyclone storm, Myanmar has stressed the preservation of mangrove, calling on people to place emphasis to regrow such plantations after disaster.

Despite destruction of some mangrove in the delta region during the May cyclone storm, it had been able to prevent some villages from inflicting casualties as it was able to bring down the speed of the tidal wave, enabling most of the villagers there to escape from deaths, reports said.

Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago,Mon and Kayin on last May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage.

The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.


Editor: Sun Yunlong