By Bernard Rowan
Encyclopedia Britannica says Korea is home to about 4,500 species of trees. Oddly, this mighty publication states South Korea's "original forest has disappeared." Probably this statement is true for much of the industrialized world, but it doesn't tell the full story of South Korea's forests today.
Various sources note three main zones and types of South Korean trees: coniferous, deciduous broad-leaf and subtropical and evergreen broadleaf. The trees provide wonderful food products, timber, and shade. They oxygenate the environment and are wonderful means to enjoy Korea outdoors during the fall. Oaks and maples show rich beautiful colors. Other major species in South Korea include birch, alder, camphor and camellia.
By 2014, volunteers planted 50 million trees through the concerted efforts of a project known as Keep Korea Green. It crowned a cooperation between Yuhan-Kimberly that began in 1984. As well, Seoul has just opened Seoullo 7017, near Seoul Station, which features and records 2,400 species of trees along a famous stretch of an old elevated highway.
The real story of Korea's reforestation began much earlier, following the 1950-53 Korean War. A national reforestation plan began in the 1950s. It involved concentrated enforcement of anti-logging rules, shifting energy consumption from wood to coal and replanting millions of hectares of forests. Park Chung-hee made reforestation a top national priority. Urbanization simultaneously decreased pressures on forest stocks. These are some points from a 2012 study in the journal Land Use Policy titled "Forest Transition in South Korea: Reality, Path, and Drivers" by several Korean experts.
Can't this happen in all advanced countries? It needs to, but it's rare. South Korea can take pride in using public and private cooperation for environmental preservation and recovery. We depend on forests for clean air, decreasing soil erosion and preservation of countless life and food chains.
Reforestation needs leadership and developing democratic majorities around a collective action problem and solution. The commons erode when neglected and used to excess. They can't recover without investment in the future. Individual and collective interests must balance with the public good or national interest.
On the other hand, South Korea at times goes far in using lands once occupied by forests. There remains controversy surrounding the successful Winter Olympics. An entire village had to move. Many hectares of forests made way for the lovely sports pavilions. The public needs to use forests for development. Asserting eminent domain isn't without reason in present-day societies. However, beyond these episodes, South Koreans should take care of their overall forest levels and trends in general.
Recently, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and Council Chair Ban Ki-moon outlined several next stages for the advancement of Korea's forests. Land Degradation Neutrality and support for the Inter-Korean Peace Forest Initiative are the pillars. South Korea should extend cooperation with the North and explain specific strategies to reverse the effects of land use. South Korea's heavy industry and intensive economy make this important. The GGGI's website contains valuable information on continuing efforts to preserve and recover forests.
Another helpful website is the Korea Forest Service. Examine the report on Korea's forests reporting on reforestation and other important statistics. Forests contribute 126 trillion won to the Korean economy each year. They absorb 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Statistics show that while conservation efforts work, the overall area of Korean forests continues to shrink. This implies a different effort must be made to limit the loss of forests long-term and go beyond merely planting trees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
South Korea has environmental challenges, including endangered species and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, Korea's reforestation is a success story. Many advanced countries have ravaged their stocks of beautiful trees, but South Korea has turned the tide over the last several decades. It's a story worth telling, and one worth copying!
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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Various sources note three main zones and types of South Korean trees: coniferous, deciduous broad-leaf and subtropical and evergreen broadleaf. The trees provide wonderful food products, timber, and shade. They oxygenate the environment and are wonderful means to enjoy Korea outdoors during the fall. Oaks and maples show rich beautiful colors. Other major species in South Korea include birch, alder, camphor and camellia.
By 2014, volunteers planted 50 million trees through the concerted efforts of a project known as Keep Korea Green. It crowned a cooperation between Yuhan-Kimberly that began in 1984. As well, Seoul has just opened Seoullo 7017, near Seoul Station, which features and records 2,400 species of trees along a famous stretch of an old elevated highway.
The real story of Korea's reforestation began much earlier, following the 1950-53 Korean War. A national reforestation plan began in the 1950s. It involved concentrated enforcement of anti-logging rules, shifting energy consumption from wood to coal and replanting millions of hectares of forests. Park Chung-hee made reforestation a top national priority. Urbanization simultaneously decreased pressures on forest stocks. These are some points from a 2012 study in the journal Land Use Policy titled "Forest Transition in South Korea: Reality, Path, and Drivers" by several Korean experts.
Can't this happen in all advanced countries? It needs to, but it's rare. South Korea can take pride in using public and private cooperation for environmental preservation and recovery. We depend on forests for clean air, decreasing soil erosion and preservation of countless life and food chains.
Reforestation needs leadership and developing democratic majorities around a collective action problem and solution. The commons erode when neglected and used to excess. They can't recover without investment in the future. Individual and collective interests must balance with the public good or national interest.
On the other hand, South Korea at times goes far in using lands once occupied by forests. There remains controversy surrounding the successful Winter Olympics. An entire village had to move. Many hectares of forests made way for the lovely sports pavilions. The public needs to use forests for development. Asserting eminent domain isn't without reason in present-day societies. However, beyond these episodes, South Koreans should take care of their overall forest levels and trends in general.
Recently, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and Council Chair Ban Ki-moon outlined several next stages for the advancement of Korea's forests. Land Degradation Neutrality and support for the Inter-Korean Peace Forest Initiative are the pillars. South Korea should extend cooperation with the North and explain specific strategies to reverse the effects of land use. South Korea's heavy industry and intensive economy make this important. The GGGI's website contains valuable information on continuing efforts to preserve and recover forests.
Another helpful website is the Korea Forest Service. Examine the report on Korea's forests reporting on reforestation and other important statistics. Forests contribute 126 trillion won to the Korean economy each year. They absorb 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Statistics show that while conservation efforts work, the overall area of Korean forests continues to shrink. This implies a different effort must be made to limit the loss of forests long-term and go beyond merely planting trees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
South Korea has environmental challenges, including endangered species and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, Korea's reforestation is a success story. Many advanced countries have ravaged their stocks of beautiful trees, but South Korea has turned the tide over the last several decades. It's a story worth telling, and one worth copying!
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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