The UN’s sustainable development goal 15 in South Korea: environmental peacebuilding through inter-Korean forestry cooperation on the Korean peninsula

Abstract

Environmental issues transcend political boundaries, and deforestation and forest degradation in North Korea pose a threat to the ecological stability of the entire Korean Peninsula. Despite the ongoing political tensions and sanctions between South Korea and North Korea, there has been a history of cooperation in the forestry sector. In the aftermath of the Korean War (1950-1953), the Korean Peninsula suffered significant deforestation and forest degradation. However, while South Korea achieved forest recovery through effective reforestation policies in the 1970s and 1980s, the forested areas in North Korea have continued to decline over time. Research on environmental peacebuilding has shown that cooperation on shared environmental challenges can serve as a tool for transforming conflicts, even in the face of difficult political situations. In this context, forestry cooperation between South and North Korea emerges as an opportunity to address environmental challenges, while making progress towards SDG 15: Life on Land, and promote dialogue, trust, and a more sustainable future. Therefore, this dissertation aims to explore the significance of inter-Korean forestry cooperation in promoting environmental peacebuilding and advancing SDG 15 on the Korean Peninsula. Through the examination of the current status of deforestation and forest degradation, past inter-Korean forestry initiatives, and their capacity to facilitate collaboration between the two Koreas, this study seeks to enhance our understanding of how environmental cooperation, specifically in the realm of forestry, can foster connections in a region that is divided and influenced by political and ideological differences, such as the Korean Peninsula.