PROPAGANDA NEWS- Ecotone Regional S

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Ecotone Regional Seminar Opens in Myanmar

            Xinhua
            15-JUN-98

            YANGON (June 15) XINHUA - A
            five-day ECOTONE regional seminar
            for Southeast and East Asia opened
            here Monday to discuss integrated
            coastal zone management in the
            region. 

            The seventh seminar of its series,
            organized by the National
            Commission for Environmental
            Affairs (NCEA) of Myanmar and the
            United Nations Educational,
            Scientific and Cultural Organization
            (UNESCO), is being participated by
            experts from Cambodia, China,
            Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, the
            Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea,
            and host Myanmar as well as the
            UNESCO. 

            Myanmar Foreign Minister U Ohn
            Gyaw said in his opening address
            that his country has envisaged the
            establishment of an appropriate
            coordinating mechanism for
            integrated management and
            sustainable development of coastal
            and marine areas and their
            resources at both local and national
            levels. 

            "In comparison with other countries,
            the status of Myanmar's coastal area
            is relatively good, however, the
            exploitation of mangroves for the
            production of charcoal has resulted
            in the depletion of mangroves in the
            Ayeyawaddy delta," said U Ohn Gyaw
            who is also chairman of the NCEA. 

            The Myanmar government, he said,
            is now making efforts with community
            participation to rehabilitate
            mangroves in the country's delta area
            especially in the Bogalay township
            where mangroves depletion and
            coastal erosion resulted in loss of
            fisheries. 

            The coastline of Myanmar stretches
            for more than 1,600 kilometers and
            its coastal areas have rich natural
            resources. 

            The ECOTONE Seminar, held since
            1992 in Malaysia, provides an annual
            forum for scientists, resource
            managers and administrators in the
            region to exchange views,
            experiences, information and
            knowledge on problems and issues
            related to ecotonal systems in the
            region.