10 November 2021
RURAL people in Myanmar are still using firewood and charcoal for daily cooking and other productions because of not ready for the installation of cables for electrification. The use of firewood and making charcoal may affect deforestation. Hence, the Union government as well as relevant region and state governments are raising the forestry awareness of local people not to cause deforestation through too much extraction of firewood and raw materials for making charcoal.
The Forest Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation has been organizing the rural people to establish village firewood plantations in their respective areas. On the other hand, the department emphasizes the supply of firewood and charcoal to the local people. In so doing, arrangements were made to fulfil the firewood needs of local people without harming the natural forests.
The department allows the rural people to establish the rural firewood plantations. During the period from 1981-82 financial year to 2013- 14 financial year, the Union budget was allotted to be spent on the establishment of village firewood plantations. When the firewood plantations are over five years old, the department hands over the plantations to the relevant village authorities.
During the period from 1981-82FY to 2013-14FY, the department has grown 449,586 acres of firewood plantations and handed over 72,521 acres of plantations to the relevant villages.
As of the 2014-15FY, the department has been growing 272 rural firewood plantations in 113 villages from 118 villages of regions and states including Nay Pyi Taw Council Area. From the 2014-15 financial year to the 2020- 21FY, the region and state governments spent their funds on the establishment of 22,862 acres of firewood plantations.
The department stated that firewood plantations were grown on over 170 acres of land at more than 230 villages across the nation in the 2020-21 financial year. In this regard, they grow rapid growing plants such as eucalyptus and rain trees to be extracted as logs and firewood.
At present, the Forest Department is implementing the national forest sector master plan (2020-21 to 2030-31). Hence, arrangements are being made to grow 25 per cent of the firewood requirements in the plots of residences, horticultural farms and around the farmlands. A total of 25 more per cent of firewood plants will be extracted from community-owned forests, 4.2 more per cent from the departmental forest plantations and 45.8 more per cent from the natural forests.
