Myanmar plans to plant 21.36 million tree saplings across more than 30,000 forest plantation sites nationwide during the current rainy season, The Mirror, a major state-run daily newspaper in Myanmar, reported on Sunday.

The first national-level monsoon tree-planting ceremony of 2026 was held in Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday and was attended by Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing, the report said.

Speaking at the event, U Min Aung Hlaing said forest conservation efforts should be prioritized and expanded as an important investment for the future to promote economic stability and sustainable development, the report said.

He added that tree planting and forest conservation are among the simplest, most practical and cost-effective measures to address climate change and environmental challenges, it said.

Myanmar planted more than 269.8 million trees of various species between 2016 and 2025, according to the report.

Myanmar has set a target of designating 30% of its land area as reserved and protected forests. To date, 1,337 forest reserves and protected forests have been established, covering 26.11% of the country's land area, the report added.