ID :
189131
Fri, 06/17/2011 - 04:37
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/189131
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N. Korea's deforestation proceeding rapidly
Deforestation in North Korea is taking place at a rapid pace as people cut down trees for fuel and turn forest into farmland, a report by a state think tank here said Friday.
An average of 127,000 hectares of forest in North Korea have been destroyed on average every year for the past two decades, the Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI) said in the report based on data by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Total forest area in North Korea stood at 5.66 million hectares as of 2010, which was smaller than the 6.22 million hectares tallied for South Korea.
The institute under the farm ministry said that the pace of deforestation is even faster than that of rainforests around the world.
"The size of forest lost every year is equal to 150 times the land area of Yeouido in Seoul," the KFRI said. Yeouido in central Seoul, an island-turned-business district, is home to many South Korean securities firms, the stock exchange and the National Assembly.
The report said North Korean forests are probably being destroyed to provide wood for heating and cooking and to make new farmland to grow more food.
The report, meanwhile, showed that North Korea's forest size decreased from slightly over 8.20 million hectares in 1990 to 6.99 million hectares 10 years later and 6.29 million in 2005.
An average of 127,000 hectares of forest in North Korea have been destroyed on average every year for the past two decades, the Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI) said in the report based on data by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Total forest area in North Korea stood at 5.66 million hectares as of 2010, which was smaller than the 6.22 million hectares tallied for South Korea.
The institute under the farm ministry said that the pace of deforestation is even faster than that of rainforests around the world.
"The size of forest lost every year is equal to 150 times the land area of Yeouido in Seoul," the KFRI said. Yeouido in central Seoul, an island-turned-business district, is home to many South Korean securities firms, the stock exchange and the National Assembly.
The report said North Korean forests are probably being destroyed to provide wood for heating and cooking and to make new farmland to grow more food.
The report, meanwhile, showed that North Korea's forest size decreased from slightly over 8.20 million hectares in 1990 to 6.99 million hectares 10 years later and 6.29 million in 2005.
