Public health and greening natural environments with hygienic conditions have to be taken into consideration to make joint efforts in the implementation as the global nations of nowadays are doing their utmost to undertake all-round development. The green areas gradually becoming smaller in size can be seen in the major cities in the international community once the urban areas make more progress. With this notion that the green areas should not shrink slowly by slowly, Yangon, the most economic developing city, is being transformed to the one with larger green areas.

We are putting more efforts in transforming Yangon into the one with larger green areas, quoted the speech by Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, adding that conservative measures are required to keep up the green areas in Yangon that has emerged as the world-class city with accelerated momentum.

Measures to maintain green areas in Yangon

Constant measures are being taken to keep up green areas in Yangon such as Maha Bandoola Park, Thakhin Mya Park, People’s Square and Park, Kandawgyi Garden and Lake, Inya Lake. In addition, efforts to green in their environs are being made for ensuring that the areas will be covered with trees and plants as well as grass. But actions have to be taken not to have effect on existing green areas as modern buildings are under construction near the environs of Kandawgyi Garden and Inya Lake.
The experts point out that a city must have at least 30 percent of green area so that it can contribute to the public health. The increased construction of new buildings brings the trees to be cut down in Yangon, thereby leading to the biggest challenge to the conservation of green areas.

The green areas of Yangon

The renowned parks and lakes of Yangon like Kandawgyi and Inya are the eye-catching sites in the modern urban lifestyle. In these environs, a series of high-rise buildings remain to emerge. Only if this condition is well dealt with can the green areas of Yangon be conserved.

It is necessary to create more parks in Yangon for the public to spend relaxation hours and also to conserve the existing ones to continue for a long time. There are 63 parks and 112 playgrounds under the control of Yangon City Development Committee. Out of them, some are being upgraded with the growing of more trees and plants and conservative efforts.

The green areas of a town can retain its atmosphere and temperature and water sources can be also conserved. Moreover, it can prevent from natural disasters and it can protect underground water resources from shrinking. As a result of these advantages, the YCDC launches monsoon tree planting programmes in the townships every year during which more than 600,000 saplings are grown. In addition to parks, playgrounds and gardens of the YCDC, flowers, plants and shady trees are grown on the roundabouts, triangle islands and traffic islands and constant conservative measures are being taken by municipal workers almost all the time in Yangon.

Prevention against the decline of green areas

The authorities imposed a ban on further construction of the buildings on the green areas and environs in Yangon. The government’s move should be welcomed as it is of importance. If the buildings emerged from these areas, there would be population growth, environmental pollution, loss of natural resources, and reduction of green areas. For these reasons, the ban had to be imposed. The municipal workers have to tackle the pollution on the water surface of Kandawgyi Lake brought about by the restaurants and remove the pollutants from the water with the help of heavy machinery. In a bid to carry out conservative measures to compete with modern cities from neighboring countries, Yangon Zoological Garden, Kawdawgyi Garden and Lake, Inya Lake, Hlawga National Park are designed as green areas in Yangon. Conservative measures are being constantly carried out in these green areas along with the further growing of plants and trees.

Shady trees grown as many as possible

Ever-beautiful sceneries must be created in Yangon and shady trees must be grown on vacant lands as many as possible. The collective growing of the trees and plants must be undertaken. It is necessary to get the habit of small-scale growing of plants at the apartments. The modern buildings are constructed in conjunction with gardens in the international major cities such as New York, Sidney, Tokyo and Singapore. Gardens are earlier designed in the construction of high-rise buildings these days.

In the international cities, secondary students have to grow 10 trees each. They are being nurtured to have the good habit of nursing the trees since the age of the student and they are awarded at the end of every year. This knowledge convinces them that the trees and plants bring benefits not only to the people but also their environment. 

Translated by Htut Htut (Twantay)