Gov’t aims to grow more mangrove forests to curb air pollution

[webfact]

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The government is eyeing the increase of mangrove forest land as an effective measure to combat air pollution. The Prime Minister has ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to find suitable areas for forest planting while creating a comprehensive plan to tackle the seasonal haze issue.

 

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa this morning met with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha in a meeting to discuss the restoration and expansion of mangrove forests in Thailand, in an effort to mitigate air pollution.

 

In the meeting, the Prime Minister has ordered the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to find suitable lands for mangrove forest planting, as the coastal forest can help prevent shoreline retreat while absorbing 3-4 times the volume of carbon dioxide.

 

On the seasonal accumulation of PM 2.5 airborne particles, which usually takes place in winter, the Prime Minister has ordered the Pollution Control Department (PCD) to issue preventive and response plans towards the haze issue, and to communicate with the general public in a proactive manner.

 

As part of this policy, provincial administrations must have in place their local PM 2.5 response plan, together with campaigns against the burning of combustibles in forest areas, the promotion of watershed forest restoration, and the establishment of volunteer networks, and the promotion of clean energy usage.

 

From now through early next year, the PM has urged related agencies to stringently identify the source of PM 2.5, strictly enforce the regulations at reserved forest areas, and comply with the ASEAN’s roadmap on transboundary haze pollution.

 

He has also asked related agencies to strictly regulate the emission of black exhaust from vehicles, and the emission from factories, while at the same time preventing forest fires, which are one of the key factors contributing to the haze disaster.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-12-01

 

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[Will B Good]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

a comprehensive plan to tackle the seasonal haze issue

"Seasonal haze"........seriously? That is what they are calling it?

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Funny thing is that curbing carbon emissions with plants and trees really WOULD BE a 20 year up plan

[Thailand]

Ah, the Chiang Mai mangrove swamps, coming soon.

 

As mentioned "haze". It is often life threatening smog at the height of the "season"!

[jaiyen]

Mangroves will only absorb CO2, as stated, but will be of no use to help with carbon emissions and PM2.5 particles. They are solid particles not a gas. Another dumb idea from those that think the know best !

[sungod]

57 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Mangroves will only absorb CO2, as stated, but will be of no use to help with carbon emissions and PM2.5 particles. They are solid particles not a gas. Another dumb idea from those that think the know best !

Just watched a program on the BBC where part of it they are restoring peat bogs in northern England as they are able to absorb 3-4 times the amount of carbon than tree/forests.

 

Really interesting.

[Jeffr2]

Just stop the burning and the air will magically get better. LOL

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Just stop the burning and the air will magically get better. LOL

I think applying logic to this situation is pointless.

[jak2002003]

It will never happen. It's a 'plan' to look at the investigate'. 

 

Just more hit air and trying to pretend they are doing something. 

[mikebell]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

suitable lands for mangrove forest planting,

The cycle lane the whole length of Sukhumvit?

[Gsxrnz]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Mangroves will only absorb CO2, as stated, but will be of no use to help with carbon emissions and PM2.5 particles. They are solid particles not a gas. Another dumb idea from those that think the know best !

Just another case of politicians and bureaucrats authenticating my philosophy that until proven otherwise, they should be regarded as arrogant fools.

 

They rarely prove otherwise.

 

 

[bokningar]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

mangrove forest planting, as the coastal forest can help prevent shoreline retreat

Very good idea that will help fight erosion.

But it is usually easier and cheaper to protect what you have, than restore what's been destroyed.  

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The government is eyeing the increase of mangrove forest land as an effective measure to combat air pollution. The Prime Minister has ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to find suitable areas for forest planting while creating a comprehensive plan to tackle the seasonal haze issue.

Maybe have a chat with CP family, they've destroyed acres of mangroves forests to build up their shrimp empire.

Maybe he'll do some re-planting?

[ChrisY1]

Varawut Silpa-archa....already uber wealthy, is wearing a very apt jacket covered in dollar symbols....he knows how to get finance for free!

But of course, please go ahead and plant mangrove along the coastline....it's a great idea. It would look nice, but not sure about preventing pollution.....that's the money question!

[khunPer]

There are lots of things I don't understand, for example that planting Mangrove trees in coastal areas will reduce PM 2.5 airborne particles from seasonal burning in northern Thailand...????

[PremiumLane]

5 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Mangroves will only absorb CO2, as stated, but will be of no use to help with carbon emissions and PM2.5 particles. They are solid particles not a gas. Another dumb idea from those that think the know best !

Plants and trees do help reduce PM2.5 pollution - in London they are planting extra trees for this reason.

 

Now, some trees and plants are better at the job than others, so would have to do some research on mangrove plants. But the idea in principle is far from dumb

[timkeen08]

Pollution  has  long  been identified  as  harmful to trees. Historically,  impacts  of  air  pollution  were  primarily  local  in scale  (trees  impacted  by  a  nearby  industrial  area).Yet  today, trees  are  being  affected  on  both  the local  and regional scale. Entire  urban  areas  and  even  rural  area  trees  are  experiencing adverse impacts of air pollution. Trees  help  cleanse  the  air  by  reducing  levels  of  carbon  dioxide  (CO 2 )  and  removing  pollutants,  while  releasing  oxygen  through photosynthesis .  Air  pollution  directly injures  trees  by  damaging  living  tissue,  primarily  foliage, and  impairs  photosynthesis  and  the  ability  to  respirate.  Air pollutants  also  weaken  trees,  predisposing  them  to  further damage  by  insects  and  disease.  Some  air  pollutants  can also  indirectly  impact  tree  health  by  altering  ecosystem processes  such  as  soil  chemistry  and  nutrient  cycling.  The result  is  decreased  tree  vigor  and  growth  that  can  culminate in tree death.

 

https://www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP657.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjxjKyV5cH0AhUe4XMBHc6JD64QFnoECCkQBQ&usg=AOvVaw2VVJ-vS5tl2dExmZPyxxuq

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

The cycle lane the whole length of Sukhumvit?

The beach at Pattaya too?

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

There are lots of things I don't understand, for example that planting Mangrove trees in coastal areas will reduce PM 2.5 airborne particles from seasonal burning in northern Thailand...????

Yes, the Ash trees they planted turned out to be a failure.....????

[overt2016]

Prayut  said  "Do your job".

[rickudon]

Well, everybody knows all that pm2.5 comes from the sea, so it will be soaked up before it gets to Bangkok and Chiang Mai ........????

[bbko]

When I ride my motorbike around, there's no shortage of the smell of burning garbage/plastics and no shortage of vehicles kicking out black smoke when they go around town. 

 

Why is the Thai police afraid to enforce the rules and issue fines to help get this air pollution under control?