- 1st Korea-Honduras Forestry Cooperative Committee Convenes

The Korea Forest Service (KFS), led by Minister LIM Sang-seop, hosted the inaugural Korea-Honduras Forestry Cooperative Committee (FCC) meeting virtually on September 4th, Seoul time (September 3rd, Tegucigalpa time). Delegates from both countries discussed a range of topics focused on advancing sub-national forestry cooperation projects between Korea and Honduras.

The committee's agenda included discussions on the Korea-Honduras Forest Restoration Project, joint efforts to combat climate change, seed conservation and management, and forest fire response. A key focus was the Sub-National Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of the global effort to address the climate crisis.

Honduras has 56% of its territory covered by forests. However, the need for forest landscape protection and ecological restoration is growing, as forest areas are steadily declining due to deforestation and other factors.

Korea and Honduras signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Forestry Cooperation in 2021. Since then, the two countries have initiated a forest restoration project in 2023, aimed at addressing climate change through forest rehabilitation, disaster response, and improving the livelihoods of local communities.

Dr. NAM Song Hee, Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at KFS and head of the Korean delegation, stated, “The collaboration between Korea and Honduras exemplifies our commitment to sharing successful reforestation experiences and technologies with Latin American countries. This partnership is made possible by the mutual trust and dedication of our two nations. I look forward to expanding our forestry cooperation, particularly in the area of REDD+, in the future.”