Forestry professionals from across the world gathered in Seoul to discuss restoring the ecology of the Aral Sea, the large saline body of water located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Over 100 arid land restoration specialists attended the International Workshop on Forest Ecological Restoration, Aral Sea at the Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI), part of the Korea Forest Service, in Seoul on November 25. Participants came from various countries, including Germany and Kazakhstan, to help restore the Aral Sea.

The workshop is a follow-up measure to the memorandum of understanding signed in June between the Korea Forest Service and the Kazakhstani government to restore the forested area around the Aral Sea.




Participants in the workshop agreed, first of all, to recover the forested areas around the Aral Sea, which will help restore the sea. They also concurred that the Korea Forest Service's efforts to rebuild the forest around the lake would be very effective.

The Aral Sea has lost 90 percent of its surface area as its water has dried up over the past 40 years due to climate change and agricultural use. The forest around the lake has also been destroyed and residents in the area are suffering from "salty wind" and other aspects of desertification.



"The Aral Sea forest restoration project is an important example of cooperation as it combines Korea's reforestation experience and the Central Asian nations' experience in restoring forests in arid areas," said Shin Won-sop, the minister in charge of the Korea Forest Service. "This will be a solid base through which we can promote the Eurasia Initiative."

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of the Korea Forest Service
jun2@korea.kr