Nearly 200 people in Kachin State’s Waingmaw Township took part in a tree-planting event at the Nam Wa protected forest on Wednesday to mark the start of the rainy season.
Local people from the Wuyang area, as well as government staff, participated in the event, which was organized by Waingmaw Township’s forestry department.
“I think this will give people some idea of how difficult it is to plant a tree and maintain it, so it will make them think twice before cutting one down,” said Sut Ring Seng La, who heads the township’s forestry department.
He added that planting trees has become even more important in recent years, as temperatures continue to rise. He also urged local people to get more involved in efforts to protect forests.
“We farmers need to learn more about forest conservation, so we appreciate this opportunity to take part in this event,” said Ze Hkawng, a resident of the area.
Participants planted a total of 2,420 trees, including 1,210 eucalyptus and 1,210 cassia trees, at this year’s event.
The Nam Wa protected forest has a total area of 3,800 acres. Traditionally, local people have relied on forests near their villages for firewood.
However, the greatest threat to forests in the area comes from tissue-culture banana plantations, which have been proliferating in Waingmaw Township in recent years. There has been growing resistance to the plantations from people concerned about their environmental impact.
