Thailand's reforestation planned in eight river basins

BANGKOK, February 27 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment plans the management of eight river basins and reforestation in 8 million rai of land, or 12,800 square kilometers, in the country to effectively prevent and solve flood problems, as advised by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said on Monday that his ministry will soon propose the management plans for the Ping, Wang, Yom, Nan, Sakaekrang, Pasak, Tha Chin, and Chao Phraya river basins to the government and will follow His Majesty the King’s advice on reforestation from upstream to downstream areas. Preecha told journalists that his ministry will first use the global positioning system (GPS) over the next couple of months to locate areas for reforestation and for the construction of new dams for flood prevention and will later monitor the results of reforestation with satellite photos, and that his ministry will try to finish the production of seedlings for the reforestation by May 2012 and plans to expand reforestation in about 8 million rai of land, or 12,800 square kilometers, within five years. The minister announced that officials in charge of the reforestation will remain in their same positions throughout the reforestation project so that they will accomplish it. Meanwhile, Suwit Ratanamanee, Director-General of the Forestry Department, said that his department was assigned to take care of six out of the eight river basins and to rehabilitate 80,000 rai, or 128 square kilometers, of forests this year; so, his department will plant equal numbers of softwood and hardwood trees for the sake of balanced reforestation and will start its reforestation next month when local farmers will also be encouraged to help protect local forests. (TNA)