THE Ministry of Forestry (MOF) will plant almost 1.9 million mangrove plants in Ayeyarwady Division’s Bogale township in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, according to a ministry spokesperson.

The goal of the project is both environmental conservation and disaster preparedness – the effects of last May’s cyclone Nargis were exacerbated because many mangrove trees, which act as a natural barrier, had been removed.

The MOF will grow 160,000 mangrove plants in 22 villages and 1.7 million mangrove plants along the riverbank and in reserve areas, such as Meinmahlagyun, which is a natural reserve area, and Kadonkani forest area, which is classified as a community forest and research forest .

These conservation areas were established by NGOs like Forest Resource Environment Develop-ment and Conservation Association (FREDA) and Friends of Rainforest in Myanmar (FORM).

The MOF official said the project would run for longer than one year and had already begun in Kyein Chaung Gyi and Set San villages in Bogale township, where approximately 60,000 mangrove plants were grown last year.

Statistics from the Ministry of Forestry show that in 1988 there were more than 3 million acres of mangrove forests in Bogale township but satellite images taken in 1994 revealed that only 17 percent of that amount remained.

Additionally, one-third of plants that were established in 1992-1993 were destroyed by cyclone Nargis, according to the ministry.

“The mangroves in the area were damaged by cyclone Nargis. [For example], we established 400 acres of mangrove plants six years ago. Among them, only 100 acres are still left,” he said.

Meanwhile, local group FORM has been granted permission to establish 1000 acres of mangrove forest in Labutta township, Ayeyarwady Division, but does not have the funds to start the project, said Dr Kyaw Tint, FORM’s vice president.

“Our association has got approval for a mangrove plantation project in this region from the ministry but we are still trying to get financial support. We have put the proposal to other organisations and asked for financial support. Only when they come on board will be start the project,” Dr Kyaw Kyaw Tint told The Myanmar Times.

The ministry spokes-person said local villagers would benefit from the jobs created by the replanting project.

“We can create job opportunities for the villagers, who can work for us as general labourers. At the moment we employ about 30 labourers in
this region to replant mangroves and pay K2000 to K3000 a day as daily wages,” the official said.