YANGON, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is planning to plant a mangrove forest along the Gulf of Mottma in the southern coast of the country, aimed at protecting people from natural disasters, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

A field survey is being conducted by the Yangon Region Fishery Department on growing more than 27,700 acres (11,218 hectares) of mangroves in five coastal township areas of Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Kayan, Thonegwa and Kunchangone.

The department will choose the coverage area for the protected forest under the management of the regional government which will pay compensation and provide land substitutes to local farmers, U Tun Win Myint, head of the department was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the township administration has prohibited land reclamation, land digging and tree cutting in the chosen areas.

As the Mottma Gulf coastline is facing problems of coastal erosion and the threat of a rising sea level, mangroves are crucial for the coastal areas, serving as buffers between the land and the sea.