Senior General Min Aung Hlaing underscored that the current government in its tenure has been supervising tree growing and conservation of forests in order to notably minimize deforestation impacts yearly.
The first monsoon tree-growing ceremony in 2025 in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory took place at Yanaungmyin Forest Reserve in Dekkhinathiri Township of Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning, attended by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing who planted a Gangaw tree (Mesua ferrea).
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General highlighted that the forest coverage reached 42.92 per cent of the country in 2015 compared to 42.19 per cent in 2020 but the preliminary report in 2025 stated 42.15 per cent forest coverage of the nation, showing some deforestations.
In its tenure, he continued that the current government has been supervising tree growing and conservation of forests in order to notably minimize deforestation impacts yearly.
The Senior General stressed the need for relevant departments, local authorities and organizations to set their missions to have 50 per cent of forest coverage of the nation as a national duty in order to ensure more forest ecosystem services.
According to the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests, he recounted that the UN has set a target to increase the global forest area — estimated at 10 billion acres in the year 2000 — by approximately 300 million acres (around 3 per cent) by the year 2030.
He emphasized that forests supply various forest products such as timber, firewood, bamboo, rattan and herbal plants to rural people. Conservation of forests can create favourable weather as well as produce raw materials and inputs for agriculture, livestock, idustrial and service sectors.
He explained that the government prioritizes forest conservation, management and reestablishment and expansion of forests under the long-term plans.
The Senior General retold that the government distributed more than 90.55 million of saplings to the people from 2021 to 2024 monsoon.
He recounted that he led nine-time tree-growing ceremonies in Nay Pyi Taw to grow 3,209,703 saplings, more than 3.032 million of which are thriving, accounting for 94 per cent.
In monsoon this year, he added that a total of 20.59 million of trees above two feet high will be distributed across the nation for cultivation.
Currently, the Senior General spotted that the government is implementing the green development plan with establishment of forest plantations along both sides of roads and along banks of rivers and creeks, conservation of mangrove forests, establishment of the two-acre forest per village in greening 13 arid zone districts, setting up of multipurpose plantations and village firewood plantations, growing trees in Bagan ancient cultural region and planting trees in the Typhoon Yagi-affected areas.
The Senior General planted a Gangaw tree (Mesua ferrea) in the designated place.
SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, the Council Secretary, the Joint Secretary, council members, Union-level dignitaries, Union ministers, guests, students and service personnel also grew saplings.
The Senior General viewed round participation of attendees to the ceremony in growing trees.
At the ceremony, a total of 3,000 saplings in 15 species were planted at the monsoon tree-growing ceremony 2025.
Also, present at the ceremony were senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, deputy ministers, faculty members and students from Naypyitaw State Academy, Naypyitaw State Polytechnic University, Government Technical Institute (Nay Pyi Taw) and University for Forestry and Environmental Conservation.
The Senior General inspected repairing of Uttarathiri Dam over infiltration of water from its cracked parts. Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung, the Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman and officials reported to the Senior General on inlet channels of water into the dam, geological measures for repairing the dam, and soil test measures.
The Senior General stressed the need to systematically conduct inspection measures before repairing process and urged them to emphasize long-term strengthening of the dam.
MNA/TTA
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