Local people in the town of Chipwi in northern Kachin State planted trees on Tuesday to celebrate World Environment Day.
“There have been many landslides in Chipwi since 2010 and the weather has also gotten worse here,” Zawng Dai, who works with Lawng Byit Khawng, a local environmental group, told KNG.
“Everybody recognizes the impact of environmental damage, but few have any great desire to do anything about it. That’s why we decided to do this to set an example,” he said.
According to Zawng Dai, the group has grown many plants, including lychee and rambutan trees, in downtown Chipwi and in the compounds of government departments.
Nearly 30 people from Lawng Byit Khawng, the Farmers Network and other community-based organizations took part in the tree-planting event along with local youths.
“There are people who are destroying the environment rather than protecting it, through mining, logging, and so on. We can see it, but there’s nothing we can do to stop them, because they are close to armed groups,” said one Chipwi resident who spoke to KNG.
“They are destroying the environment. Both the government and individual people have a responsibility to protect the environment,” he added.
People across Burma plant trees and other vegetation to mark World Environment Day each year, but this is the first time the event has been held in Chipwi.