Korea-Laos Cooperation on 'Greenhouse Gas Reduction' to Prevent Deforestation

South Korea and Laos have agreed to mutually cooperate in reducing greenhouse gases through the prevention of deforestation.

On the 10th (local time), the Korea Forest Service announced that Lim Sang-seop, head of the Korea Forest Service, and Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mutual cooperation in the "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)" project at the Presidential Palace of Laos.

Provided by Korea Forest Service

The MOU was signed in the presence of the heads of state of both countries.

Following the signing of the MOU, the Korea Forest Service plans to establish and operate the Korea-Laos Overseas Forest Carbon Accumulation Promotion Support Center in Vientiane, Laos, in cooperation with the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Additionally, a project team composed of local officials will be formed to promote forest protection activities, sustainable forest management, and capacity-building projects for local communities.

Previously, since 2018, the Korea Forest Service and the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have been conducting a pilot greenhouse gas reduction project through deforestation prevention in the Dong Hoxao Protected Area in southern Laos.

This project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preventing forest conversion and degradation, and to increase carbon accumulation through sustainable forest management and administration.

Through the pilot project, the two countries have built trust, and based on this, they agreed last year to promote a large-scale international greenhouse gas reduction project covering 1.5 million hectares in the entire Phongsaly Province in northern Laos.

Lim Sang-seop, head of the Korea Forest Service, stated, "Through close forest cooperation between South Korea and Laos, we will contribute to achieving the national greenhouse gas reduction targets of both countries."

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