DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

DLDD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

INTRODUCTION

The country is occupied with mountains and hills of nearly 80%

Temperate climate, annual mean precipitation: 1000 mm or so prone to soil erosion in sloping lands

Severe drought in Spring and heavy rain in July and August

73%

1%

15%

2% 6% 2%

Forest Settlement Agriculture Industry

Water body Other

Mountainous occupies 80% of its

Land use Status

4Deforestation and forest degradation

- Soil erosion in sloping fields

Much soil and nutriments are lost by run-off, wind, gravity.

Soil lossNutritive elements

wash off

Soil humus is very low.

Land degradation in farmland

- Re-salinization of tidal paddy

Rice yield is lower

- Drought and Flood damages

In spring season, severe drought damage.

Many non-paddy fields suffer much more damage by flood after severe drought.

In rainy season, severe flood damages.

.

Correlation between Land degradation and Climate change

- Climate change accelerates land degradation

Air temperature is 1.9℃ increased by warming

Extreme weather (heavy rain, drought)

Sea level rise, rising of ground water level

Increased soil erosion and land slides

Increased natural disasters (water shortage, floods, drought

damage)

Inundation of tideland

Corruption of equilibrium of ecosystem; Change of tree

cultivation with economic value boundary

- Land degradation influences to

climate changeLand degradation – removing of vegetation –

decline carbon stock – reduce carbon absorption capacity – accelerate global warming

Contribution to climate change of land use: 25%Thus,Mitigation of Land degradation: win-win practice

for climate change adaptation and mitigation

IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION AND DEGRADATION

Reduction of soil productivity Reduction of forest resources Weakness of regeneration capability Decline water control capacity Increase soil erosion Floods Biodiversity loss due to fragmentation of

ecosystem and destruction of habitats

Destruction of mountain

ecosystems

Increase of disasters,

Reduction of productivity,

Biodiversity loss

Decline of local

economic &

livelihood

Shortage of

Food, Fuel & Timber

Population

growth

Negotive cycle

Main causes:- Deforestation and land use chanfe

over-exploitation for timberover-exploitation for firewoodreclamation for food

- Inappropriate forest management - Unsustainable land management and

farming methods- Climate change and natural disasters such as fire, pest, etc.

Main causes of Land Degradation

Impact Food SecuritySustainability of

natural resourcesPoverty Living Environment

Natural Disasters

Global Warming Biodiversity

Influence

Decreased natural resources

Decreased land productivityDecreased

regenerative capacity

Fluctuation of water control function

Decreased carbon pool

Decreased social value

Status Forest degradation -Decreased forest cover-Erosion & land slide -Decreased organic matter -Decreased regeneration capacity -Decreased water conservation capacity -Decreased biodiversity

Agricultural land degradation-Loss of agricultural land -Erosion & decreased fertility-Acidification, resalinization -Decreased water conservation capacity & drought -Water logging, increased ground water level -Soil pollution

Land of settlement-Soil erosion -Sand storm

Land for industrial use-Erosion from road side slope -Erosion from mining residue sites -Soil pollution

Land covered with water body-siltation -pollution

Other land -degradation of marginal land of protected areas

Direct cause

Deforestation & land use change -conversion to cultivation land -conversion to grazing land -conversion to construction land for infrastructure

Unsustainable forest management -over logging(wood, fuel wood, NTFP, extraction of soil humus)-ecological unsound cutting method-pest damage

Loss of arable land-development of infrastructure -erosion, sedimentation -land falling in coal mining sites

Unsustainable man-agement agriculture -lack of soil conservation-mono culture & successive culture -chemical fertility & pesticide use -use of solid wastes -lack of water

Water resources management -flood control -drought damage -pollution

Lack of adaptation capacity in climate change-flood damage -drought damage -extreme weather

Root cause

Lack of institutional capacityPopulati

on growth

Lack of arable land

Global environment change especially

climate change

Shortage of energy sources

External pressurepolicy/

legislation

Institutional

arrangement

Subsidiary means

Financial sources

Scientific resources

Human resource

s

Public awarenes

s

Cause-Status-Impacts Analysis

Constraints- Continuous deforestation and forest degradation to

solve food shortage and fuel wood

- Soil erosion, decreased soil fertility, soil productivity

- Weakness of resilience of land to climate change, flood, drought

- Poor healthy of pure conifer stands, pest outbreak

- Biodiversity loss due to land degradation

- Unsound waste treatment in coal mining, mineral mining area factories, enterprises, and soil pollution

- Water logging of land relation to infrastructure construction

Policy related to land management

National policy- Greening of whole country

- Integrated use of mountains

National planning

National Land Construction Master Plan

Forest Development Master Plan

Rotational timber logging plan

Annual aforestation/reforestation plan

National and social activities

General turn-out period for land

management in spring and autumn

Afforestation/reforestation by whole people

Forest management through distributed

management responsibilities among local

communities and institutions

Legislation related to land management

Land Law, DPRK (29th April, 1977)

Law on the Environment Protection, DPRK

(9th April, 1986)

Law on the Land Use Planning, DPRK (27th

March, 2002)

Forest Law, DPRK (11th December, 1992)

Law on the Agriculture, DPRK (18th December, 1998)

Law on the Water Resources, DPRK (18th June, 1997)

Law on the Environment Impact Assessment, DPRK (9th November, 2005)

Law on Rivers and Streams, DPRK (27th November, 2002)

Law on Natural Protection Areas, DPRK (25th November, 2009)

Government’s Efforts to Mitigate DLDD

DPRK ratified UNCCD (2004) and prepared and validated the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification/Land Degradation (June 2006).

Main Activities for implementation of NAP

- Government policy: Mountain and water treatment, reforestation and greening of the whole country

- Rehabilitation and improvement of more than damaged, capacity of seedling production –/year

- General turn out months for land treatment, more than of reforestation/year, mitigated deforestation and forest degradation

- Several tens km dykes built and repaired to prevent natural disasters and rehabilitate damaged areas

- Agroforestry development and extension

- Organic farming, conservation farming for enhancement of soil humus and fertility

- Terracing with protection grass belt to control soil erosion in sloping land

Constructed gravity-fed water canals for providing irrigation water to the agricultural land

Included watershed management and agro-forestry in curriculum of Agricultural Universities and Colleges

△ Necessity‐Natural and geographical characteristics

o80% mountainous, complex topography➡Limited arable landoGeographical location ➡high risk of natural disaster

‐SituationoContinuous economic sanctions by outside forcesoEconomic difficulties since mid 1990soConsecutive natural disasters

‐For building a powerful socialist stateoFood security, people’s livelihood, sustainable

development of the economyoDisaster Risk Reduction, protection of ecological environment,

landscape improvement

Relying on our own resources, strength and technologies!

AF Policy of the Government

△ National Policies‐Make good use of the mountains in the mountainous regions and the sea in the coastal regions!

‐All-out mass movement for more arable lands!

‐Well-regulated discipline of land use for maximized effectiveness!

‐Development of fruit culture and sericulture, creation of more

economic forests!

‐Comprehensive utilization of mountains, development of

local economies!

‐Rural development, rural people’s livelihood improvement!

‐All mountains into gold and treasure mountain!

‐Afforestation and greening of the whole country!

‐Environmental protection, prevention of natural disasters such

as flood!

‐Development of agriculture and light industry, food security and

people’s livelihood improvement!

National AF Policy and Measures

△ Agroforestry as national policy ‐Main purpose

oTo solve food shortage problem and promote reforestation on

immediate terms oTo contribute to the conservation of eco-environment and the

sustainable development of the economy on long terms

‐MeasuresoProvision of legal basisoSystematization, AF on a scientific basisoIn a planned way on a long-term perspectiveoRaising public awareness, AF as an all-out mass campaignoStrengthening scientific research on AF developmentoEnhanced education for training AF experts

△ State measures for AF extension‐Demonstration show, introduction and propaganda by means of

newspapers, radio and news‐Provision of legal guarantee

oAmendment and supplement of the Forest Law Article 19,

Issuance of rules and regulations

‐Guidance system on the nationwide scaleoFrom the national level to the provincial, city and county levels,

establishment of non-standing consulting bodies and standing

executive bodies

‐Thorough survey of AF plots and preparation of a far-reaching

plan‐AF extension as an all-out mass movement, nationwide

movementoVarious economic methods (guarantee of the right to use forest

land

and the right to the disposal of products)

‐Strengthening of scientific research and training of AF

extension workers

Overall Objective

Through the extension of good AF experiences

in model sites to the nationwide scale

To solve urgent food problem and recover damaged forest ecosystem

Furthermore, to achieve eco-environment conservation and sustainable development of the economy

National Strategy Framework

Purpose of applying AF

To protect environment

(conservation)

To gain high yield

(production)

Sustainable development

Road Map for the Preparation of the AF NAP

Organization of the National Working Group

Field survey throughout the whole country

Identification of provincial priority projects

Identification of strategic targets of the AF NAP and national priority

Preparation of the AF National Strategy and Action Plan

Preparation of the Financial Strategy for the implementation of the AF

NAP

Endorsement of the draft by the Government

AF National Strategy and Action Plan Development Project

National Workshops on Agroforestry

On-going …

Development of AF National Strategy and Action Plan

supported by SDC (2014)

Food security and disaster prevention for sloping land user

groups(SLUS) in 3 Counties of North Phyongan Province (EUPS

4, 2013-2014)

Prepare …

Natutal disaster prevention through introduction agroforestry

and waterwhed management

AR/CDM and preparation to attend in REDD+ Programme

UNCCD NAP Alingment

Challenges to DLDD Mitigation

Lack of awareness/advocacy and institutional capacity for mitigation of land degradation and sustainable land managementLack of awareness about the significance of sustainable

land management and land degradation mitigationLack of improved regulation and guidelines related to

land useWeakness of land use coordinating structure

Lack of capacity for scientific research and technical services– absence of database regarding to land degradations– Lack of research on land degradation – Poor technical service skills for land degradation

mitigation

Lack of financial resources to input to land degradation mitigation activities

Recently, climate variation is more severe for mitigating DLDDMore risk of floods due to most of the country area (80%)- mountanous

Increase the resilience of land to climate change, climate adaptation, needs enormous input

Conclusion1. Deforestation and forest degradation, according to

land degradation are most important environmental issue in DPR Korea

2. Policy willingness of the government and international cooperation create important opportunities for land degradation mitigation

3. Aligned NAP should include measures and approaches to successful mitigate land degradation through social participation, responding to climate change

4. To replicate and extend best practices and experiences and to build institutional capacity are priorities, which should be combined with food security and livelihood improvement

Thank you for attention!