Gwangju City to Fully Launch Forest Management Project This Year

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 16th that it will start a forest management project this month to reduce fine dust and prevent forest disasters such as landslides.

The city plans to invest a total of 800 million KRW for 350 hectares this year to complete the "public interest forest management" and "fine dust reduction forest management" by the first half of the year.

▲The public interest forest management, aimed at enhancing the public functions of forests, will be carried out in seven areas including Sanjeong-dong 86-12 in Gwangsan-gu, covering 180 hectares (including 30 hectares for wildfire prevention). ▲The fine dust reduction forest management, aimed at reducing fine dust and air pollution, will be implemented in 170 hectares of forests around residential areas in four locations including Jangdeung-dong in Buk-gu.

In these forests, pruning and tree density control will be conducted, and the upper and lower layers of trees will be properly managed to purify fine dust.

Well-managed forests through the forest management project have evenly developed tree roots that prevent soil erosion within the forest, and during heavy rain, rainwater is absorbed into the soil through gaps between trees, preventing landslides. Additionally, maintaining an appropriate density delays the rapid spread of wildfires, reducing the probability of large-scale forest fires.

Airborne pollutants such as fine dust, properly guided into the forest following air flow, adhere to tree trunks, branches, and leaves, contributing to air quality improvement.

Shin Jae-wook, head of the city's Parks and Greenery Division, said, "The health of the forest means the health of the ecosystem. The forest management project is a forest management initiative that cultivates valuable timber resources with environmental and economic value and creates healthy forests resilient to disasters. We will continue to expand it in the future."