Minister of the Korea Forest Service Park Eun-sik (Korea Forest Service) By Park Eun-sikMinister of Korea Forest ServiceJune 17 is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, designated by the United Nations. Established to mark the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994, this day calls on the global community to recognize the severity of desertification, land degradation and drought, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to action. This year's theme — "Rangeland: Recognize, Respect, Restore" — serves as a sobering reminder of how urgent it is to safeguard healthy, productive landscapes in an era of climate crisis.According to the UNCCD, an estimated 55 million people globally are directly affected by drought each year, and by 2050, an estimated 75 percent of the world's population could be living under drought conditions. Today, approximately 3.2 billion people are already affected by desertification, which causes economic losses equivalent to 10 percent of global GDP annually.Desertification and drought are not distant problems — they are already part of our daily lives. Every spring, yellow dust and fine particulate matter cloud our skies, making it difficult to step outside without a mask. Desertification and land degradation in neighboring countries such as China and Mongolia affect the Korean Peninsula, as dry, exposed topsoil is carried by the wind across borders. Land degradation across the region has become a shared challenge.Desertification is not simply the spread of desert. It is a process of degradation in which land essential to human survival gradually loses its productivity. Unregulated development, overgrazing and shifting precipitation patterns driven by climate change are combining to accelerate land degradation around the world. The consequences are far-reaching: declining food production, loss of biodiversity, deepening poverty, a worsening climate crisis and growing public health threats — all of which ultimately undermine a sustainable future for humanity.In addressing the urgent global challenge of desertification and drought, forests play an irreplaceable role. Forests are far more than places where trees grow. They are vast ecological hubs that anchor soil, store water and drive atmospheric moisture cycles that bring rainfall back to the land. The healthier the forest, the longer the land retains water, the more steadily rivers flow and the more resilient communities become in the face of drought and extreme heat. In the age of climate crisis, forests matter not only because they absorb carbon, but also because they sustain the healthy water cycles on which all life depends.South Korea has been widely recognized for successfully restoring forests devastated by colonial rule and war, and now serves as a model for other countries. Building on this legacy, the Korea Forest Service is actively advancing international forest cooperation — sharing the knowledge, experience and technical expertise gained from restoring degraded land with developing countries around the world.A prime example is our work with countries facing desertification challenges, such as Mongolia and Tajikistan, where we support the scientific cultivation of seedlings and transfer technologies for healthy tree growth. We also work alongside the UNCCD to help countries implement and achieve land degradation neutrality targets. In addition, we collaborate with a wide range of international organizations — including the FAO, UNEP and the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization — to lead efforts to restore degraded land and build climate resilience across Africa, Asia and beyond.Combating desertification and drought is not something any government or country can achieve alone. It requires the commitment and participation of businesses, civil society and individual citizens around the world. In Mongolia, private-sector partners — including Yuhan-Kimberly, Korean Air, E-mart, Industrial Bank of Korea and the Asia-Pacific Forum — have been working since 2007 to combat desertification, helping promote a successful model of public-private forest cooperation to the international community. Everyday efforts such as saving water, planting trees and using land sustainably can drive meaningful change toward restoring our planet.This World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought offers us an opportunity to reflect on the true value of the land, water and forests we so often take for granted. Every tree we plant and every forest we tend with care is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in the health and prosperity of future generations. The Korea Forest Service will continue to move forward with a deep sense of responsibility — planting and nurturing trees, and working to restore the vitality of our forests and our planet. I hope you will continue to walk with us toward a greener and more sustainable future.Park Eun-sik is the minister of the Korea Forest Service. The views expressed in this column are the writer's own. — Ed.