KFS, Mongolia's Forestry Agency expand cooperation



   The Korea Forest Service and the Forestry Agency of Mongolia have shared their commitments to a  joint 10-year forest plantation project aimed at curbing desertification and sandstorms in Mongolia.

   The 7th Korea-Mongolia Forest Cooperative Committee Meeting took place in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on Aug. 16-17, led by Kim Yong-ha, director general of the KFS International Affairs Bureau, on the Korean side and Boldmyagmar Demberel, vice chairman of the Forestry Agency, on the Mongolian side.

  Both sides “highly evaluated” the progress made since the last meeting two years ago, such as forest plantations in Selenge and Tuv Province and wood pellet plantations in Darkhan-Uul Aimag.

  The Mongolian side wished to expand plantations in the Saxaul forest in the Gobi desert as part of the Greenbelt Plantation Project and asked the KFS to increase its budget to meet the initial reforestation target of 3,000 ha. The KFS said reforesting 3,000 ha would be quite a challenge but agreed to make efforts to put more money into the project. The Greenbelt project started in 2007 to reduce desertification and sandstorms in Mongolia by cultivating a wooded mountain range across the southern part of the country.

  The Mongolian side also expressed its intention to try to allocate more domestic budget to the Saxaul forest and encourage local communities to participate in forest conservation efforts.



  The KFS vowed to share its technology and expertise on wildfire control, which affects about 13% of Mongolian forests every year.

  The KFS and the Forestry Agency of Mongolia built their cooperative relationship in 1998 by signing a memorandum of understanding on forest cooperation. The two sides meet every two years alternately in Korea and Mongolia.