Illegal Charcoal Trade Wrecks Myanmar’s Bulwark Against Cyclones

The depletion of mangroves in southern Myanmar is impacting local fisheries near the island villages and playing havoc with the mangrove forest that protect the coastline from extreme weather events.

The illegal charcoal trade persists due to a lack of law enforcement and oversight in Myanmar and Thailand. Many Burmese labor workers, charcoal kiln owners…