Yangon, Sep 13 (IANS): Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation has designated a new protected public forest area in the western region of Sagaing, state-run daily The Mirror reported on Friday.
The ministry designated 14,534 acres of land in the region's Katha township as the protected public forest, effective from September 6, the report said.
The move aimed to conserve water resources such as rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds and watershed areas. It also helped stabilize the ecosystem, meet the basic needs of local communities by providing wood, firewood and bamboo, conserve biodiversity and support agricultural activities, the report said.
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Southeast Asian country has designated 10 protected public forest areas, Xinhua news agency reported.