The Kachin State

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Kachin state where I lived is at the northern tip of Myanmar. Deforestation and excessive  gold mining in the confluence of the Maykha and Malikha Rivers result in soil erosion (as the area is being washed away into the river from gold mining), water pollution in the river and environmental changes.

Ayeyarwiddy , near Myitsung Dam

The color of water at the confluence has turned murky in recent years. It was clear and pleasant in the past but today there are no trees left on the banks and all the hills are bare due to excessive gold mining. In the past, gold mining was done on a small scale, now it has turned into a large scale mining, employing machinery. Chemicals used in gold mining flow into the river so the level of pollution has accelerated. Sandbanks have emerged in the river since 2009 due to the lack of environmental conservation in its upper reaches, depleting water resources.

Irrawaddy River is the most important lifeblood in Myanmar; millions of people depend on this river in terms of conduit of communication and transportation. Repercussions of deforestation at washed areas of rivers in Myanmar have resulted in the increase of environmental changes along the rivers. The inhabitants’ along river banks are directly affected by these changes such as the loss of house and farmlands due to erosion of river banks, the shortages of fresh water in some towns which are relying on river water and the lack of cultivated lands. The rises of river beds are also causing sudden flood under the torrential rains in the country. Therefore, the need is to make efforts for environmental conservation along the river. 

JRL

W.P Moses