=?UTF-8?B?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 GluY3JlYXNpbmcgY2FyYm9uIGRpb3hpZGUgYWJzb3JwdGlvbiBhbmQgY29udHJpYnV0aW5nIHRvIGJpb2RpdmVyc2l0eSBjb25zZXJ2YXRpb24uIEhvd2V2ZXIsIHRoZSByYXRlIG9mIGRlc2VydGlmaWNhdGlvbiByZW1haW5zIGhpZ2gsIHJlcXVpcmluZyBmdXJ0aGVyIGNvb3BlcmF0aW9uIGZyb20gdGhlIGVudGlyZSBpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsIGNvbW11bml0eS4gRWZmb3J0cyBhcmUgdW5kZXJ3YXkgdG8gcmVhbGl6ZSBhIHN1c3RhaW5hYmxlIGZ1dHVyZSB0aHJvdWdoIHRoZSBpbnRlZ3JhdGlvbiBvZiB0ZWNobm9sb2dpY2FsIGlubm92YXRpb24gYW5kIHJlZ2lvbi1zcGVjaWZpYyBjb3VudGVybWVhc3VyZXMuIA==?=

History of the Global Reforestation Initiative and Desertification Prevention - From 1997 to the 2020s In 1997, as desertification intensified globally, the "Global Reforestation Initiative" was proposed with a target date of 2010. This initiative gained attention as an international effort to prevent ecosystem destruction and soil degradation caused by deforestation and to achieve a sustainable environment. Activities were particularly promoted in Africa's Sahel region and Asia's inland arid zones, with afforestation projects in Nigeria and Mongolia serving as prime examples. Within Japan, progress was made on urban rooftop greening and the Satoyama restoration project in the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture. Companies like Sumitomo Forestry and Mitsubishi Estate actively participated, focusing on planting cedar and cypress trees known for their high carbon dioxide absorption efficiency. Furthermore, at the Agricultural Environment Technology Research Institute in Fujisawa
City, Kanagawa Prefecture, research on salt-tolerant tree species progressed, advancing technological innovations aimed at strengthening adaptability in desertified areas. Entering the 2020s, desertification remains a global challenge. A report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) revealed that approximately 12 million hectares of land are lost to desertification annually. This equates to 23 hectares of land disappearing every minute. In response, Japanese companies implemented more concrete countermeasures. Toyota Boshoku Corporation planted approximately 80,000 saplings in the Tonggri Desert of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region between 2013 and 2020. Additionally, ITOCHU Corporation has carried out afforestation on approximately 250,000 hectares of land in Brazil, utilizing about 130,000 hectares of this as reforested areas. Furthermore, Japan's Ministry of the Environment implemented a model project in Mongolia's Gobi region aimed at e
nhancing the climate change adaptation capacity of nomadic herders, advancing the development of sustainable pastureland utilization methods. These initiatives are highly regarded not only for preventing desertification but also for increasing carbon dioxide absorption and contributing to biodiversity conservation. However, the rate of desertification remains high, requiring further cooperation from the entire international community. Efforts are underway to realize a sustainable future through the integration of technological innovation and region-specific countermeasures.