Protection of remaining natural forests

Natural forests in dry zone have been degrading due to over consumption of forest products, expansion of human settlements and agricultural lands and livestock grazing activities along with increased population. Particularly, easily accessible natural forests and the forests that are close to human settlements are the most affected ones. Conservation of remaining natural forests conducted by the Dry Zone Greening Department is the systematic, cost-effective and environmentally friendly silvicultural approach to rehabilitate and upgrade the degradated forestsin a short period of time in central Myanmar dry zone area.

With the aim to implement conservation of remaining natural forests more successfully, since 2017-2018 the conservation period had been increased to 5 consecutive years from original 2-year and the activities are carried out by developing annual operational schedules.

The following table shows the total area of remaining natural forests conserved by DZGD from 1997-1998 to 2018-2019 by region.

The following table shows the total area of remaining natural forest to be conserved by DZGD by regions under Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabitiliation Plan (MRRP) (from 2017-2018 to 2026-2027)

(1) Natural Regeneration (NR)

Natural Regeneration (NR) activities are carried out in 30% of natural forest areas conserved with the rate of 10% of the area per year as a supporting activity in order to improve both the growth and composition of the forests. The following table shows the areas by regions in which natural regeneration activities were conducted under the operation of protecting remaining natural forests from 1997-1998 to 2018-2019.

Moreover, since 2010-2011 fuelwood produced from natural regeneration activities such as pruning, weeding and coppicing were distributed to the nearby villages of conservation areas. The amount of fuelwood (hoppus ton) distributed through the activity by regions from 2010-2011 to 2018-2019 fiscal year is as follows:

(2) Inventories and permanent sample plots

With the aim to have valid evidences to record and assess the changes (improvement or deterioration status) of the conserved natural forests, forest inventories (measuring height and GBH of standing trees) have been carried out biannually (in June and December) by setting 1-acre permanent sample plot (PSP) per district inside the natural forests conservation areas since the fiscal year 2011-2012. List of 13 (PSPs) set by region and their locations are as follows:

Furthermore, starting from 2017-2018 fiscal year, additional 12 PSPs were established in districts/townships in which natural forest conservation is carried out under new system (5-consecutive year). The list of these 12 new PSPs and their location by Region are as follows:

(3) Operational Schedule

The following is the operational schedule by year for protection of remaining natural forests implemented for 5-consecutive years.

Operational schedule for protection of remaining natural forests (First Year)

Operational schedule for protection of remaining natural forests (Second Year)

Operational schedule for  protection of remaining natural forests (Third Year)

Operational schedule for  remaining natural forests (Fourth Year)

Operational schedule for protection of remaining natural forests (Fifth Year)