○ Gyeonggi Province and Liaoning Province are promoting the “3rd Friendly Forest Development Project” this year.

– The project is geared to improve air quality and mitigate desertification in Northeast Asia by such means as airborne dust prevention.

– The project will see the creation of 40 hectares of friendly forests this year in the western areas of Liaoning Province undergoing desertification.

○ The project is expected to contribute to the realization of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Gyeonggi Province announced on March 16 that, together with Liaoning Province of China, it will promote the “3rd Friendly Forest Development Project” this year to improve air quality and avert desertification in Northeast Asia by means such as airborne dust prevention.

This forest development project has been implemented with China;s Liaoning Province since 2016 to strengthen environmental cooperation in response to the peaceful mood on the Korean Peninsula.

Through the first and second phases of the project, the two parties created a total of 112.6 hectares of friendly forests for desertified and degraded areas in Jianping County, located adjacent to Inner Mongolia in northwestern Liaoning Province, and planted 98,513 trees.

The third phase of the project aims to create a total of 40 hectares of friendly forest in the region. Of particular note, the two parties plan to focus on the conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of ecosystem services by creating an ecological, multi-layered forest along with a shelter belt forest for protection against wind and dust.

A total of six tree species will be planted this time, including poplar, pine, Siberian elm, lilac, seaberry and leguminous shrub, with the focus of the afforestation project being on the most suitable plant species for the region.

After afforestation, Gyeonggi Province will undertake joint monitoring with Liaoning Province on the survival rate and growth rates of plant species.

Kim Gyu-sik, Director General of Gyeonggi Province’s Economic Planning Bureau, said, “We will not only prevent desertification and airborne dust by promoting diplomatic and friendly cooperation between the two local governments, but also achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Aichi Targets, thereby serving as an exemplary case for ecological service promotion in Northeast Asia.”