Measures of forest sector corresponding to the UNFCCC in Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible measures of domestic forest sector corresponding to the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Korea and to examine the background of how these measures have been established. Most of the devastated forests have been afforested by the large-scale afforestation campaign in the 1970s through 1980s on a national level in Korea; for this reason, there have been very few places currently available for afforestation and reforestation. Therefore, the domestic forest policy in accordance with the UNFCCC should focus on how to ensure carbon sinks through forest tending activities (forest management) with the plan, in which 4.9 million ha of stand for production forest land are recognized as greenhouse gas (GHG) sinks by 2022 rather than on how to obtain them through afforestation. In addition, the methods of the afforestation of marginal agricultural land with low productivity and the formation and expansion of urban forest have been established to overcome the limitations of forest land area where afforestation could be performed. Furthermore, the policy of preventing forest disaster, controlling deforestation and expanding forest bio-energy and the use of wood products has been performed as the measures of carbon emission source. If such forest policies corresponding to the UNFCCC are proceeded while people are having a wide range of understanding on the public interest of forest, it is estimated that they will have a positive reaction.