Now we dig a little deeper into some of the potential projects that could actually take effect,… as the two Koreas discuss a joint forestry program.
In the first part of our two part series,... we take a look at the inter-Korean efforts to make both Koreas greener.
It marks the comeback of a once-jointly run project between the two Koreas.
The two sides once held hands on joint forestry projects in the late 1990s.
But those projects were put on the backburner in 2010 when tensions spiked following a series of military provocations by North Korea.
However, with the cloud of tensions and threats lifted,... just like many other joint initiatives now being set up by Seoul and Pyongyang,... this one may end up being a long-term project between the two.
However, both sides are realistic, considering the reality of North Korea's circumstances.
Some two-point-eight million hectares of forest had been cut down in North Korea as of 2008,… and that's nearly double the amount of bare land compared to just a decade earlier.
It's so bad that a UK-based risk consulting company assessed North Korea's deforestation as the third worst in the world in 2012.
"Precisely understanding the situation in North Korea is the most crucial first step. It's necessary if the two sides are going to be able to make a difference. However, we believe it will be different this time due to Pyongyang's determination."
That determination,… reflected in its leader Kim Jong-un's efforts to restore a semblance of environmental care in his country: announcing plan to plant 6-and-a-half billion trees by 2023and even opening up a forestry science school at the elite Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang.
The forestry project between the two Koreas, although still very much in its infancy, could branch out in a number of ways.
Comprehensive projects related to forest-and-agriculture already seem to be coming down the pipeline.
Related businesses' stock prices have shot up over the past couple of weeks,... especially those involved in forest restoration, cultivating saplings, mineral exploration,... and seed production.
"We are looking to start with cabbage, corn, broccoli and radish. Crops like these bring about quick benefits. especially with some of them being native to our soil. They are most suitable when we consider the environmental circumstances."
The sentiment this time is more positive,... with North Korea showing a strong inclination to follow through on its pledges.
Environmentalists here in South Korea have one thing in mind,... improving this fertile land bestowed to us by our ancestors... and adding a lot more greenery along the way.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.
