Myanmar, Japan NGOs to jointly reconserve mangrove in cyclone-hit areas
13/10/2008 17:15
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 today.
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 similarily 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.
Xinhua
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