The restoration of forest ecosystems is not just a matter of promoting ecology, but also bolstering a country’s biological sovereignty in international society, according to the Korea Forest Service.

The KFS recently hosted the 12th session of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The event was part of the Rio Conventions Pavilion, a United Nations-led platform for raising awareness about ecosystem degradation, sharing information about the latest scientific findings, and eradicating poverty and discrimination.

“South Korea possesses a wide variety of biological diversity, as its climate ranges from warm and temperate to almost polar, while its topography includes both mountains and seas,” said KFS Minister Shin Won-sop at the convention.

These factors are why Korea was seen as a perfect test bed, especially when it comes to studying biological diversity and the effects of reforestation, he explained.

Shin also stressed that in order to maintain such wide biodiversity, it is crucial to make effort to restore and preserve the country’s forest areas.

As of the end of 2010, the total forest area of Korea had reached 6,369 hectares, or 64 percent of the land, according to KFS data.

“Not only do forests take up a considerable proportion of the land, but they are highly vulnerable to degradation or disasters such as fires,” a KFS official said.

To uphold its previous pledges for pursuing forest restoration and to consolidate its position within the Convention on Biological Diversity, the service also kicked off a Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative on the sidelines of the convention, which was attended by top environmental leaders.

“We have learned from Korea’s forest restoration history that patience and persistence are the most important values,” said Pak Heru Prasetyo, head of the Indonesian unit of the U.N. Program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, or REDD+.

Prasetyo also stressed that forest restoration activities should take place over a long period of time, across generations, and also should be based on an intimate partnership between the private and the public sectors.

“We should all be inspired by the accomplishments of the Republic of Korea in recent decades, which attained remarkable economic growth and population enhancement, while restoring and conserving its forests at the same time,” said Braulio de Souza Dias, secretary-general of the CBD.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)