Today's News

One of the most urgent global environmental problems at present is the desertification of land.

There are several causes of desertification.

Above all, it is caused by such natural factors as reduced precipitation, temperature rise, sand storms and abnormal weather conditions.

Other major causes are deforestation, destruction of ecosystems arising from excessive expansion of agricultural land and the devastation of pastures by excessive grazing.

More than half of global GDP relies on healthy ecosystems. Yet each year, a large area of land is degraded, driving biodiversity loss, increasing drought risk and displacing communities. The ripple effects are global—from rising food prices to instability and migration.

The UN General Assembly in 1994 set June 17 as Desertification and Drought Day and, on this occasion, various events have been held for preventing desertification, land degradation and drought, while information activities have been conducted to promote solutions to them.

Under the theme "Restore the land. Unlock the оpportunities." this year’s Desertification and Drought Day focuses on one of the most urgent global challenges: restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land and jump starting a land restoration economy by 2030.

In order to prevent desertification, international cooperation is being promoted for the protection of natural environment and many countries have drawn up long-term environmental plans and policies suited to their specific conditions on the basis of their nature protection strategies and taken measures to that end.

The DPRK has also put big efforts into land protection.

It constantly manages and conserves forests, rivers and coastal areas in line with the topographical features of the country blessed with mountains and rivers. While giving priority to afforestation and water conservation, it works to improve rivers, build tide embankments and plant windbreaks according to a long-term plan so as to prevent land from being washed away by natural disasters.

It has taken positive measures to plant many trees, increase their rooting rate and protect forests and pastures. Well over 200 million trees were planted throughout the country during the spring tree-planting season this year.

And ground-cover plants have been planted on bare grounds around roads and villages as an all-people campaign.

The agricultural sector makes positive efforts to protect land and improve its use and management. A great deal of success has been made in the work to improve soil fertility, build and restore irrigation facilities and prevent the decrease in crop yield caused by drought.

It is a vital issue that brooks no delay to protect land, a precious asset of the country and the cradle of our life.