Global climate change may kill Korean forests
Global climate change may kill Korean forests
AP
Seoul: Forests on the coast of the Korean peninsula could face possible extinction by the end of the century because of global warming.
South Korea’s Environment Ministry said the peninsula’s forested coastal areas could be under water as the sea level is set to rise between 0.1 and 0.6 centimeters (0.03 inches and 0.23 inches) annually.
The sea level in Jeju, South Korea’s southern resort island, has jumped 21.9 centimeters (8 inches) over the past four decades with an annual increase of 0.5 centimeters (0.2 inches), the ministry’s report said.
The report also projected that rice yields, which are the staple food of Koreans, would decrease by 15% by the end of the century.
The ministry said global warming will increase the frequency and damage caused by weather disturbances such as typhoons and heat waves, and rising ocean temperatures would also heighten the risk of disease through seafood.
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