"U Myo Thit, regional minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, said his office will soon meet with local groups, residents and non-governmental organisations to discuss the plan and to ensure technical support and effective management. “We need to hold a meeting to discuss the details,” he said. Wetland ecosystems provide a range of products and services for people through rivers, streams, freshwater lakes, marshes, seasonally flooded plains, and estuaries with extensive mangrove swamps. At least 10 wetland areas need conservation in central Myanmar, including Sont Ye Lake, Pyu Lake, Paleik Lake, Manaw Lake, and Taungthaman Lake, said U Thein Aung, chair of the Myanmar Bird and Nature Society. Filling in the lake for settlement and farming, excessive extraction of lotuses, littering, and lack of environmental conservation knowledge among residents are causing the severe degradation of Sont Ye Lake, according to Ma Thiri Dawei Aung of the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association..."