09 August

Forest Department held High -Level Policy Dialogue on HKH Cakk to Action in coordination with International Center for Integrated Mountain Development( ICIMOD) yesterday morning.

At the event, Union Minister U Ohn Win said that mountain region makes up 42 per cent of Myanmar and that bio-diversity in those regions, culture, the existence of the diverse tribes and the fresh water sources have economic significance for the country.

The regions are natural habitats of both local and global plant species. For this reason, policy on eco-tourism, deforestation and carbon REDD plus mechanism are included in national-level strategy.

ICIMOD’s help in drawing up policy on eco-tourism, management strategy and guidance concerning natural habitats has been of great assistance, not only in mountainous regions, but in maintaining and prolonging environment of other regions as well.

The HKH evaluation report was written by 350 researchers of 185 organizations from 22 countries and individuals doing field works in HKH, and experts on policy.

The report is important for achieving steady development goals, reducing climate change and making plans to bring about steady development. To reduce the global warming below 1.5 C, the countries in the region should make collective efforts to hold international forums concerning climate change and counter its effects.

The event was attended by permanent secretaries, directors-general, professors, staff members of Ministry Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, the Director-General of ICIMOD, Dr David Molden representatives and officers from related departments.

Then, the dialogue was chaired by Director-General of Forest Department, Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw, and Deputy Director-General of ICIMOD, Dr Eklabiya Shama, and other officials presented six call to action plans for HKH. Representatives of the ministry and other departments then discussed them in detail. —MNA

(Translated by Alphonsus)