Environment in North Korea Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Japan annexed the independent kingdom of Korea in 1910, continuing to occupy the country until the end of World War II when the country was split into North and South Korea. Although allied with the Soviet Union, the communist dictator of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) managed to resist total domination by either the Soviets or the Chinese. At the same time, South Korea maintained a close alliance with Western powers. Despite enormous international pressure, North Korea has refused to suspend a suspected nuclear weapons program. Significant economic resources in North Korea go toward maintaining the one-million-strong army and the development of weapons, which leads the population of 22,912,000 to depend heavily on international aid for survival.

With a per capita income of $1,800, the country is the 46th poorest country in the world. Although 36 percent of the workforce in the centrally planned economy is engaged in agriculture, a series of natural disasters and systemic problems have led to major food shortages since the 1990s. With a growth rate of only 1 percent, North Korea is experiencing severe economic hardship. South Korea has provided fertilizer assistance, and international agencies have provided food. However, at least 36 percent of the population is undernourished, and one-fifth of all children under the age of five are underweight. Because information on many social indicators is not released, the United Nations Development Program does not rank North Korea’s standard of living.

Environmental Conditions

Located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and bordering on the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, North Korea has a coastline of 1,547 miles. The climate is temperate, and rainfall usually occurs only in the summer. In the late spring, droughts may be followed by severe flooding. Occasional typhoons are possible in the early fall. The terrain is generally comprised of hills and mountains interspersed with deep, narrow valleys, but wide plains fill the landscape along the coast.

Specific information on environmental problems in North Korea is sketchy because of the closed society. In August 2003, the North Korean government published its first State of the Environment report, written by the National Coordinating Council for the Environment, which was made up of 20 government and academic agencies who worked with UN officials to assess North Korea’s environment. The report revealed that the major environmental problems include water pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion and land degradation.

With almost three-fourths of land area covered by forests, deforestation has accelerated in response to commercial logging, fuelwood, agricultural clearing, and insects and fires in times of drought. Only 2.6 percent of the land is protected by the government, and biological diversity has diminished with at least 13 endemic mammal species and 19 endemic bird species in danger of extinction. Over 60 percent of the people live in urban areas. Consequently, waste management and energy consumption are of major concern. Untreated water and sewage is discharged directly into rivers. Soil deterioration has been a direct response to natural disasters, deforestation, and the use of chemicals in industry and agriculture. Although the entire population technically has access to safe drinking water, there is a shortage of potable water. Forty-one percent of the population does not have access to improved sanitation, and food and waterborne diseases are common.

North Korea’s commitment to global environment is limited to ratification of the following agreements: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, and Ship Pollution. The government has signed the Law of the Sea agreement, but it has not been ratified.

Bibliography:

Timothy Doyle, Environmental Movements in Minority and Majority Worlds: A Global Perspective (Rutgers University Press, 2005);
Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Asia: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues (ABC-CLIO, 2003);
Michael Howard, Asia’s Environmental Crisis (Westview, 1993).