Forest biodiversity conservation gains international recognition — 5 forest OECMs covering 5,383.7 hectares contribute to global 30x30 target
South Korea's efforts to conserve forest biodiversity have received formal international recognition.
The Korea Forest Service and the National Arboretum announced Wednesday that Gwangneung Forest and four national natural recreation forests have been officially listed as OECMs in the World Database of Protected Areas and Conservation Areas (WDPCA).
OECMs, or Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures, are areas that are not legally designated protected zones but are effectively managed in ways that contribute to biodiversity conservation. The five forest OECMs now listed are Gwangneung Forest (2,426 hectares), Sinsi Island National Natural Recreation Forest (119.2 hectares), Sinbulsan National Natural Recreation Forest (1,013.1 hectares), Unmunsan National Natural Recreation Forest (1,578 hectares) and Hwangjeongsan National Natural Recreation Forest (247.4 hectares), totaling 5,383.7 hectares across five sites.
Since 2021, the National Arboretum has been conducting biodiversity investigations and research to identify and evaluate forest OECMs across a range of forest types — including arboreta, botanical gardens, natural recreation forests, forest wetlands and wind-hole sites — using the assessment framework of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The international listing demonstrates that forests managed in various forms — including natural recreation forests used by the public for welfare and leisure — can qualify as OECMs when they make a meaningful contribution to biodiversity conservation. With 5,383.7 hectares of forest OECMs now reflected in international data, South Korea can formally communicate its forest biodiversity conservation achievements to the global community.
The forest OECMs listed in the WDPCA are also expected to contribute to the "30x30" target set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which calls for the effective conservation of at least 30 percent of the world's land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030.
"This international listing is significant because the biodiversity conservation value of our forests — identified through field investigations and scientific assessments — has been formally incorporated into global biodiversity conservation data," Korea Forest Service Commissioner Park Eun-sik said. "We will not stop at the listing itself, but will continuously monitor the conservation and management status of forest OECMs to ensure the results translate into tangible conservation outcomes."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
