Korea Forest Service to Establish 'Coastal Disaster Prevention Forest' Belt in Pohang Area

The Korea Forest Service announced on July 15 that it will cooperate with the Environment Foundation to establish a coastal disaster prevention forest in the Heunghae-eup area of Buk-gu, Pohang City by next year.

A coastal disaster prevention forest is a belt of trees created in coastal areas to protect facilities from sand and salt carried by the wind, as well as from tidal waves and high winds that occur along the coast.

Coastal view of the area around Yeongilman Industrial Complex in Heunghae-eup, selected as a target site for coastal disaster prevention forest establishment. Provided by Korea Forest Service

The Korea Forest Service expects that establishing a coastal disaster prevention forest in the Heunghae-eup area will help prevent damage to the surrounding industrial complex from strong sea winds and blowing sand. In addition, the creation of a green forest in the otherwise barren industrial complex is anticipated to improve both the coastal landscape and the living environment.

The designated site for the coastal disaster prevention forest is the coastal area around Yeongilman Industrial Complex in Heunghae-eup. This year, the Environment Foundation, with support from the Global Coca-Cola Foundation's social contribution fund, is responsible for improving the soil around the Yeongilman Industrial Complex to make it more suitable for tree growth.

The Korea Forest Service plans to complete the establishment of the coastal disaster prevention forest by planting approximately 10,000 trees in the spring of next year.

The Korea Forest Service and North Gyeongsang Province plan to actively support administrative procedures and technical aspects of the project to ensure that the establishment of the coastal disaster prevention forest becomes a successful model of public-private cooperation.

Lee Yongkwon, Director of Forest Disaster Control at the Korea Forest Service, stated, "These days, the role of forests in achieving carbon neutrality and preventing disasters is more important than ever," adding, "The Korea Forest Service will spare no effort in providing administrative and technical support to ensure the successful establishment of the coastal disaster prevention forest."