Countries hold virtual meeting to address climate-driven challenges.
The Korea Forest Service (Director Kim In-ho) announced on Nov. 20, that it held the ‘6th Korea-Canada Forest Cooperation Committee Meeting’ via video conference.
The meeting was attended by Nam Song-hee, International Forest Cooperation Officer, as Korea’s chief representative, and Joyce Henry, Director of Trade, Economic and Industrial Affairs, representing Canada. Key agenda items discussed included △joint response to forest fires amid intensifying climate disasters △expansion of wood construction utilization to achieve carbon neutrality.
Both sides explored cooperation directions in forest fire response, including firefighting personnel education and training, and mutual support for equipment and personnel. Detailed implementation plans will be specified through future working-level consultations.
The participants also exchanged views on various agenda items including △expansion of construction using eco-friendly timber △joint research on noise reduction in wood construction △biodiversity conservation △urban forest creation △sustainable forest management.
Canada experienced large-scale forest fire damage of approximately 15 million hectares in 2023 and currently maintains high competitiveness in related fields by promoting over 700 large-scale wood construction projects.
A Korea Forest Service official said, “Through this committee meeting, both countries will further solidify practical cooperation foundations in various forest sectors including forest fire response and the timber industry,” adding that “as forest disasters increase due to climate change, the importance of international cooperation is becoming even greater.”
Nam Song-hee, International Forest Cooperation Officer, stated, “We will continue to strengthen practical diplomacy based on forest fire response and timber industry technology cooperation with Canada, which leads global forest policies in the field of climate change response.”
Meanwhile, Korea and Canada have been holding cooperation committee meetings biennially since signing a forest cooperation MOU in 2014, continuing collaboration in policy and technology sectors.