State Administration Council Secretary Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe addressed the 2024 World Environment Day held at MICC II in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
Speaking at the event, he highlighted the emergence of World Environment Day, the theme of this year, “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”, impacts of extreme weather conditions such as high temperatures, drought, heavy rainfall and desertification occurring in the country as well as in the world countries.
He also mentioned Chauk Township of Magway Region was hit by the highest temperature at 48.2 degrees Celsius that, past the old highest temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius, which occurred 56 years ago, vast impacts of increasing temperatures, potential conditions due to climate change, activities to implement the commitments on combatting desertification of Convention objectives by the government after being a member of UN Convention to Combat Desertification in 1997.
He added that over 400,000 acres of forest plantation were conducted between the 1997-1998 financial year and 2023-2024 financial year in 53 townships of 13 districts of Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay regions, whereas 2.25 million acres of natural forest were conserved and plans were carried out to ensure the widespread use of firewood substitute fuel and access to water.
He said that according to the directive of the Head of the State to make preparation for plantation of two-year and above samplings in two acres per village, over two million plants, including firewood plantation under two acres per village plan, will be grown benefiting 809 villages, and 22 million of plants including forest plantation will be planted across the nation.
Moreover, the country has 1,304 reserved forests covering 25.88 per cent of the country’s area and 59 protected areas covering 6.42 per cent of the country’s area until April 2024, while the government targets reserved forest for 30 per cent of the total area and protected area for 10 per cent of the total area in 2030.
He then urged them to work hard in unity to meet the target within the six-year plan.
He also stressed the need to combat desertification and drought resilience and to follow the 3R system to reduce plastic pollution.
He then presented the Good Environmental Management Town Award to Kalaw of Shan State, the Good Environmental Management Village Award to Thanbo Ywathit village of Magway Township in Magway Region and the Good Environmental Management Factory Award to Shwe Taung Cement Co Ltd (Apache Cement) in Thazi Township of Mandalay Region.
Then, SAC members Porel Aung Thein and Dr Ba Shwe awarded prizes to the winners of article and essay competitions of different levels. — MNA/KTZH
