History of the Great Global Afforestation Program and the Fight Against Desertification - 1997 to the 2020s

History of the Great Global Afforestation Program and the Fight Against Desertification - 1997 to the 2020s

In 1997, as desertification became more serious on a global scale, the "World Afforestation Program" was proposed with the target year of 2010. This plan attracted attention as an international effort to prevent ecosystem destruction and soil degradation caused by deforestation and to realize a sustainable environment. In particular, activities in the Sahel region of Africa and the arid inland regions of Asia were promoted, with afforestation projects in Nigeria and Mongolia being prime examples.

In Japan, rooftop greening in urban areas and a satoyama restoration project in the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture have also made progress. Companies such as Sumitomo Forestry and Mitsubishi Estate actively participated in the project, planting mainly cedar and cypress trees, which absorb carbon dioxide more efficiently. In addition, the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, conducted research on salt-tolerant tree species and promoted technological innovations aimed at enhancing adaptability in desertified areas.

In the 2020s, desertification remained a global challenge, with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reporting that approximately 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification each year. This translates to 23 hectares of land disappearing every minute.

In response, Japanese companies have developed more concrete measures. Toyota Boshoku Corporation planted about 80,000 seedlings in the Tongri Desert in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2020. ITOCHU Corporation has planted trees on about 250,000 hectares of land in Brazil, of which about 130,000 hectares are being used as reforestation land.

Furthermore, Japan's Ministry of the Environment implemented a model project in the Gobi region of Mongolia to improve the adaptive capacity of nomadic peoples to climate change, and promoted the development of sustainable pastureland use methods. These efforts have been highly evaluated for their contribution to increasing carbon dioxide absorption and preserving biodiversity, in addition to preventing desertification.

At the same time, the rate of progress of desertification remains high, and further cooperation by the international community as a whole is required. Efforts are underway to realize a sustainable future through a combination of technological innovation and region-specific measures.