Korea Forest Service Expands Mountain Weather Observation Network and Strengthens Forest Disaster Prevention

Im Sang-seop, Deputy Director of the Korea Forest Service, is announcing the plan to expand the mountain weather observation network at the Government Complex Daejeon on the 7th. Photo by Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Forest Service is strengthening its forest disaster prevention activities, such as wildfires and landslides, by expanding the mountain weather observation network.

On the 8th, the Korea Forest Service announced that it will expand the mountain weather observation network installed nationwide from the current 464 stations to 620 stations by 2027.

The mountain weather observation network monitors seven elements, including temperature, wind, and precipitation, in mountainous areas at one-minute intervals to produce weather information specialized for mountainous regions.

In particular, with the recent increase in the frequency of forest disasters such as wildfires and landslides due to climate change, producing accurate weather and climate information for mountainous areas has become increasingly important.

Using weather, wind speed, and wind direction information obtained through the mountain weather observation network, the Korea Forest Service aims to prevent the spread of wildfires and establish wildfire suppression measures on-site.

For example, at the wildfire site in Uljin last March, weather information obtained from the nearby mountain weather observation network helped predict the direction of wildfire spread and wind intensity, contributing to wildfire suppression efforts.

By utilizing weather information specialized for mountainous areas, the Korea Forest Service has also achieved a 10 percentage point increase in the accuracy of wildfire occurrence predictions.

Besides preventing forest disasters, the mountain weather observation network also plays a role in observing and predicting seasonal changes such as the flowering period of trees and the timing of autumn foliage coloration.

For instance, this year, it predicted and disclosed the flowering dates and peak autumn foliage periods of the black locust tree, which accounts for about 70% of the domestic beekeeping industry.

The Korea Forest Service plans to expand the number of tree species for seasonal prediction in the future. It also plans to collect and provide information on forest environmental changes using remote sensing technology with the mountain weather observation network and unmanned camera systems.

Additionally, in the era of climate crisis, customized mountain weather content utilizing mountain weather information will be developed to produce and disclose information for use in various fields such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, and the weather industry.

Im Sang-seop, Deputy Director of the Korea Forest Service, said, “To prevent and respond to forest disasters such as wildfires, which have become frequent due to climate change, obtaining accurate weather and climate information is crucial. The Korea Forest Service will focus on installing mountain weather observation networks in forest areas such as Baekdudaegan and around densely populated urban living areas to produce more accurate mountain weather information and strive to ensure the safety and convenience of the public.”

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