A total of 21.36 million trees will be planted on more than 30,000 acres of forest plantations and established nationwide during this year’s monsoon season.
Forest conservation activities should be prioritized and expanded as an “important investment for the future” to ensure economic stability and sustainable development, said President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing at the first national-level monsoon tree-growing ceremony for 2026, yesterday morning.
The activities took place at Palway Forest Reserve in Dekkhinathiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw of the Union Territory, where the President planted a Mahogany sapling at the designated place.
Speaking on the occasion, the President retold the experts’ forecast that a very strong Super El Niño event may develop by the end of this year, and that 2026 and 2027 could become the hottest years in recorded global history.
He noted that tree planting and forest conservation are the simplest, easiest, and most cost-effective actions for various approaches to addressing the climate change and environmental problems facing the world. They are also nature-friendly and among the most beneficial measures.
Regarding 13 tropical districts, he continued that more than 60 million trees were planted between 2016 and 2025, which is generally equivalent to over 200,000 acres. Across Myanmar as a whole, more than 269.8 million trees of various species were planted during the period from 2016 to 2025, which is generally equivalent to about 1 million acres.
The President emphasized that special greening activities are being carried out in cooperation with relevant departments and local communities through tree planting in 13 tropical districts, along railway lines, along both sides of ASEAN roads and highways, in the Bagan ancient cultural zone, around Inlay Lake area, and in coastal regions.
According to the 2020 report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, he stated that Myanmar’s forest cover accounted for 42.19 per cent of the country’s total land area, while in 2025 it was recorded at 42.15 per cent. Compared to 2020, the forest cover rate decreased by 0.04 per cent, and continued efforts must be made to completely halt deforestation.
He stressed the need to promote environmental conservation and nature-based economic development models such as the bioeconomy, green economy, and circular economy.
The President underlined that forest conservation activities should be prioritized and expanded as an “important investment for the future” in order to ensure economic stability and sustainable development.
He urged that, of the national target to designate 30 per cent of the country’s area as reserved forests and protected public forests, and 10 per cent as nature conservation areas, a total of 1,337 reserved and protected forest areas have been established to date, covering 26.11 per cent of the country’s land area. In addition, 62 nature conservation areas have been designated, covering 6.59 per cent of the country’s land area. He urged that continued efforts be made to achieve these targets successfully.
Vice-Presidents U Nyo Saw and Nan Ni Ni Aye, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Yi, Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker U Aung Lin Dwe, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Ye Win Oo, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Kyaw Swa Lin, Union-level dignitaries, Union ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, senior Tatmadaw officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, deputy ministers, departmental personnel, faculty members of universities, colleges and basic education schools in Nay Pyi Taw and students participated in the tree-growing activities.
The President and party viewed around the participation of attendees in growing saplings.
A total of 3,000 saplings of 16 species, including teak, iron tree, gum-kino, Mahogany and others, were planted at the ceremony. At the same time, regions, states, districts and townships held the tree-growing ceremony to plant 54,810 saplings.
MNA/TTA
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