Korea’s top forestry policymaker said the nation would expand its partnership to Latin America, China and Mongolia to help prevent forest degradation and desertification.

Speaking in an interview with The Korea Herald this week, Shin Won-sop, minister of the Korea Forest Service, vowed to strengthen the nation’s status with its know-how for forestation.

He also urged people to pay more attention to global efforts to fight desertification, saying Koreans were insensitive on that issue because their country has no desert.

The following are questions and answers made during the interview.

Q: The 10th U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification was held in Korea in 2011. What changes has UNCCD brought to the Korea Forestry Service?

A: After successfully having UNCCD in Korea, the international community has started to recognize the success of our forestation plans, and many developing countries have called for sharing our experience in such plans because Korea has accomplished economic development as well. Our case of restoring our forests within 30 to 40 years is unparalleled in history. With our past and ongoing efforts into restoration, we are looking forward to strengthening our status in the international community.

Q: That means the Korean status in the international community has grown due to our relationship with UNCCD. What are your plans in terms of further strengthening the current relationship with UNCCD?

A: At the 10th conference of the UNCCD in 2011, Korea announced the Changwon Initiative, which included three parts such as creating a solid scientific foundation, enriching partnership and presenting the “Land for Life” Award. This aims to implement sustainable land management and we are going to continue our businesses through the Changwon Initiative. To begin with, we started with partnerships with African and Latin American countries suffering from forest degradation, desertification and drought. Last year, we kicked off partnerships with Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco. The partnership will expand to Latin American countries as well as the Northeast Asia DLDD Network in a bid to restore degraded lands. The Northeast Asia DLDD Network spurs regional cooperation to prevent desertification in regions near the Mongolian-Chinese border. Also, the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative would promote scientific-based research and work as a regional hub in Asia.

Q: What are some current issues related to desertification and land degradation?

A: At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders recognized that desertification, land degradation and drought were challenges of a global dimension that affected the sustainable development of all countries. They undertook the challenge to achieve the Land Degradation Neutral World and they promised to address the target in the Sustainable Development Goals. Korea is also committed to achieving the LDNW goals.

Q: What are Korea’s plans for discussions related to desertification?

A: Korea plans to bolster international cooperation with the help of its experience in forestation. Such experience would be helpful in expanding the official development assistance business and supporting developing countries in terms of preventing desertification and land degradation. For instance, Korea will support preventing deserts in Mongolia and China as well as provide a framework for mitigating land degradation in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Furthermore, Korea leads land degradation discussions the international community.

Q: Which areas in the world is desertification most severe?

A: Desertification in Africa, South America and Australia is growing fast but Asia has large areas where desertification is very serious; Asia has 16.7 hectares of desert for every 12.9 hectares in Africa. Overgrazing and environmentally unfriendly land use have caused severe land damage, especially in China and Mongolia. The vast area of desert shows how severe the problem is.

Q: How does desertification damage Korea?

A: The yellow dust in Korea has become a serious environmental issue as the extent of damage is expanding. From 1990 and to 2007, 43 days of the total 73 days when Korea was hit with yellow dust happened after 2001. Yellow dust used to affect Korea during March and May but now it happens during February and April and it gets thicker and even more severe than before.

Q: What has the Korea Forestry Service done to prevent desertification?

A: The KFS proposed establishing the Northeast Asia Forest Network in order to promote cooperation with countries in Northeast Asia to come up with measures to tackle the problem related to yellow dust, desertification, forest disease and pests at the 7th U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification in October 2005. Through the Northeast Asia Forest Network, three countries including China, Mongolia and Korea have worked together to share policies and regional problems related to the issue of desertification. It has also worked to share information related to policies to prevent desertification.

The KFS has continuously engaged in businesses to prevent desertification. It kicked off the “Green Belt Project in Korea and Mongolia” in 2007, hoping to restore 3,000 hectares of desert areas in Mongolia by 2016. It established 200 hectares of forested area and two tree nurseries in 2007 and 2008, and 804 hectares in the Kubuqi desert in China’s Inner Mongolia. Other than these it has also contributed to the forestation business in Myanmar by sending experts and equipment from 2008 and 2010. It has promised to continue its efforts in the forestation businesses.

Q: What do you want to say to Korean citizens for preventing desertification?

A: Korean citizens do not feel the impact of desertification directly, because there are no desert lands in Korea, so they tend to be a bit insensitive to this issue. However, considering the thick yellow dust happening here every year, Korea suffers from desertification damage as well. Therefore, we should be aware of its seriousness and be concerned about this issue.

By Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com)

Intern reporter Choi In-jeong contributed to this report.