Government pledges to tackle manmade impacts on eco-system of coastal areas

October 23, 2017

Union Government pledged to tackle the man-made errors which are causing degradation of the eco-system of Myanmar’s coastal areas, seeking the cooperation from the country’s people and local and foreign non-governmental organizations.

Vice-President U Myint Swe made the remark at the third coordination meeting of the State-Level Central Committee on Management of Natural Resources in Coastal Areas held in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

“When implement the management of natural resources in coastal areas, the active cooperation of the businessmen, international and local non-governmental organizations and local people are essential for success of the task,” said the Vice President.

While highlighting prominent causes which degrade the coastal areas, Vice President U Myint Swe also disclosed new findings including difficult transportation, insufficient infrastructures and funds, shortage of skilled labors for the fishery sector.

Myanmar’s coastal areas are being damaged by people clearing areas of mangrove forests for prawn breeding, using small-scale explosives for catching fish, mining, waste disposal, over using fertilizer and pesticides in farming, oil spills and land use inland.

“To tackle the problems and to carry out survey about the coastal areas in terms of management and natural science, we need to establish an information management system, said Vice President U Myint Swe.

Following his opening address, participants of the meeting also discussed implementing the decisions of the previous two meetings.

The coastal areas of Taninthayi, Ayeyawady and Rakhine are abundant with coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, mudflats, estuaries and sand dunes and that they all play an important role in the people’s socio-economic development and environmental diversity, according to environmental experts.

Meanwhile, areas of mangroves, which are an important asset in dealing with global change, are cleared for prawn breeding and rice plantation have decreased production after a certain period, farmer and breeders move to new areas and cut down more mangroves, leaving behind barren areas of land.

MNA and GNLM

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar