Tarmacked forest in Thai conservation area sparks outrage

Netizens are scratching their heads at the Department of National Park‘s decision to tarmac a forest inside a conservation area at a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand.

No space at all was left around the tree trunks to allow the trees to breathe and grow.

An outraged Facebook user posted a picture of the newly tarmacked forest at Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary with a message…

“The sloppiness of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation…

“Dozens of large trees near the entrance of the office of a wildlife sanctuary in the north have been completely smothered with tarmac to clear space for a parking lot.

“Laying asphalt in this way will definitely make the trees die because 1) the surface of the soil is covered so trees will not get water and 2) the tarmac is so close to the tree trunk that it cannot grow.

“It seems to be the laziness on behalf of national park officials. Is it their intention to kill trees? I want to ask the department, why do you let people with no knowledge take care of the forest?

“The funny thing is, these trees are in a wildlife sanctuary. If villagers cut down trees, they would be punished with imprisonment, but the authorities have the right to gradually kill the forest without being punished?”

Netizens said that it is unbelievable that the same people responsible for conserving the forest would do this. The asphalt would have damaged the trees when it was laid because of the high temperature too, they added.

In response, Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary posted a message on Facebook apologising for the mess.

The sanctuary said that the contractor will try and fix the problem today by digging a one-metre space around each tree trunk to give the tree space to breathe and grow.

However, it appears that the damage caused to the trees may have already been done.