Yudonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Achieves 43% of 'Planting 5 Million Trees' Project Goal

IPCC Report: Global Temperature Could Rise Up to 4.4°C by 2100... Concerns Over Extreme Heat Events Mapo-gu to Plant 5 Million Trees by 2027 to Curb Temperature Rise... Planting 433,000 Trees This Year Achieves 48% of 2027 Goal

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo District, is planting a tree with children at the commemorative tree planting event for planting 5 million trees.

Status Board of 'Planting 5 Million Trees' Installed in the Lobby of Mapo-gu Office

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] On the 9th, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the summary of its 6th assessment report. According to the summary, if the lowest greenhouse gas emission scenario is followed, there is a possibility of limiting the temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100; however, under the highest emission scenario, a temperature increase of more than 4.4 degrees Celsius is expected.

If the temperature rises by 1.5 degrees, the occurrence of 'extreme heat' events, which previously happened once every 50 years before industrialization, will increase by 8.6 times.

In proactive response to these predictions, Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) is seeking solutions to the temperature rise problem through 'urban forest creation' and is implementing the key project of the 7th local government administration: 'Planting 5 million trees.'

In 2019, the district established the 'Plan to Promote the Planting of 5 Million Trees for Air Purification Forests,' with the policy goal of planting 5 million trees by 2027.

The district is carrying out the planting of 5 million trees divided into four areas: ▲community tree planting ▲expansion of street greenery ▲expansion of residential area green spaces ▲private sector-led tree planting. By 2020, a total of approximately 1.97 million trees had been planted, and by the end of July this year, about 190,000 trees were planted, bringing the total to approximately 2.16 million trees.

The achievement rate of the 5 million tree planting project is 43% (as of the end of July 2021), and if the target of planting 433,000 trees this year is met, it will reach 48% of the 2027 goal.

Planting 5 million trees is expected to have the effect of reducing heat equivalent to the heat emitted by 4 million air conditioners running for 5 hours, thereby overcoming the heat island phenomenon. Additionally, it is projected to reduce about 11 tons of fine dust and approximately 308 tons of carbon dioxide.

Dr. Seo Hong-deok of the National Institute of Forest Science said in a phone interview with Mapo-gu officials on the 12th, “Recent research shows that the asphalt temperature in midsummer reaches 51.8 degrees Celsius, but the temperature of street trees nearby is 28.5 degrees Celsius. Even a single tree has the effect of mitigating the heat island phenomenon.” He added, “The ‘Planting 5 Million Trees’ project by Mapo-gu is a model case among local government greening projects.”

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “A resident I met recently told me that seeing the trees they planted with their own hands grow makes their heart feel refreshed.” He added, “We will continue to devote all efforts to planting trees that provide cool shade and clean air to our residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.