![[Image] Plant for the Planet Project in Thailand.Report from Thailand's Woodlands Reforestation activities start with local Thai children lending a hand](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/main.jpg)
The world is said to be losing its forests at the rate of a soccer pitch per second. This loss of forests is causing acceleration of global warming. It is also said that Thailand has lost half of its forest area over the last forty years. With such facts in mind, a new tree-planting project has begun under the concept of 'Plant for the Planet! Plant for the Future!'
![[Image] Location of Sirindhorn International Environmental Park](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/index_map.gif)
| Date | July 19, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sirindhorn International Environmental Park (Phetchaburi Province, Cha-Am) |
| Sponsor | Foundation for Global Peace and Environment |
| Cosponsors | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Sirindhorn International Environmental Park Foundation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand |
| Support | Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Asia (Thailand), Hitachi Group companies, etc. |
![[Image] Modernized Thai urban areas](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/plant_01.jpg)
![[Image] Dramatically deforestated behind the economic growth](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/plant_txt_01.gif)
The downside of the economic growth in the urban areas has been the rapid destruction of the forests through indiscriminate logging and slash-and-burn practices, and these have made for an extremely serious problem.
It takes six hours to get to Bangkok by plane from Narita Airport in Japan. In the past, Thailand had an abundance of green forests and was one of the world's leading exporters of wood. Nowadays, however, the fully modernized appearance of the country's cities gives no indication whatsoever of that past. The facts of the situation back up this impression: the forests that covered 53% of the country's territory in 1961 were reduced to 26.6% in 1991, and according to recent data now cover less than 20%.
![[Image] Mangroves](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/plant_02.jpg)
![[Image] Thai mangrove forest (or bush)](/environment/showcase/employee/ex/plant01/images/plant_txt_02.gif)
Thai mangroves. The government of Thailand is working to protect its forests through directives establishing a total ban on logging and the export of lumber
