Having paved over more than 40 percent of its jungles
and forests in the past 50 years, Thailand has launched an effort to
conserve and restore woodlands by planting 800 million trees.
The ministry’s Deputy
Permanent Secretary, former Chonburi governor Pracha Taerat announces
local plans to join the Kingdom-wide planting of 800 million trees.
Interior Ministry officials outlined the 800
million-tree effort launched in honor of HM the Queen’s 80th birthday
Aug. 12 at an Aug. 23 public hearing at the Ambassador City Hotel in
Jomtien Beach. Deputy Minister Chuchart Hansawat said the plan was
hatched in May during a meeting with all of Thailand’s provincial
governors, police chiefs, army commanders and agricultural supervisors.
The ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, former
Chonburi governor Pracha Taerat, said Thailand had 171 million acres of
jungle and forest, which covered 53.3 percent of the country. By 2009,
that had shrunk to just 99.2 million acres, covering only 30.9 percent
of the kingdom. Pracha noted that means Thailand had cut down over 1.6
million acres of wooded land a year.
The Interior and Natural Resources and Environment
ministries have launched plans to reverse that, sponsoring the massive
tree-planting drive, which began in Bangkok. The agencies also are
requiring all provincial governments to establish Centers for the
Prevention and Suppression of Deforestation to integrate all levels of
governments in conservation and restoration efforts. (CPRD)
