| Criteria | North Korea’s Capacity | Evaluation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Strategy / Action Plan Development | National Forest Strategy | National Forest Construction Master Plan(2015-2044) (1.4 million ha afforestation plan) Forest Restoration Campaign(2015-2024) (1.4 million ha afforestation plan) National Environmental Protection Strategy(2018-2030) National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2019-2030): Disaster management system established (National Emergency Disaster Committee, Central Forest Fire Management Command) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (2021, based on SDGs VNR): Target of 15.63% reduction (36 million tons) by 2030; 50.35% reduction (157 million tons) with international support | ○ |
| National REDD+ Strategy | No established national REDD+ strategy and objectives | × | |
| National Forest Monitoring System | Definition of Forests | Unclear: Definition focused on forest attributes (e.g., trees, grass, moss covering a large area and forming a distinct geographical cluster) Mention of alignment with international legal standards (SDGs VNR, 2021) | △ |
| Forest Change Monitoring | Institutional and regulatory framework for forest resource surveys established Forest Law (2021) and other legal frameworks revised | △ | |
| Forest Reference Emission Level / Forest Reference Level (FREL/FRL) | Historical Forest Change Data | Reported for 2015, 2018, and 2020 (SDGs) | △ |
| Greenhouse Gas Types | Carbon dioxide (CO2) | ○ | |
| Emission Factors | No country-specific emission factors | △ | |
| Carbon Pools | Tree biomass (aboveground and underground) | △ | |
| Safeguard Information | Actions aligned with national forest programs and international agreements | Establishment of the National Forest Strategy and the National Environmental Protection Strategy Accession to international agreements and submission of reports: UN SDG VNR(2021), Ratification of the Paris Agreement(2016) UN Convention on Biological Diversity(1994), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (2003) Accession to the Ramsar Convention, etc. Continuous announcement of national plans for greenhouse gas reduction(2012, 2016, 2021), ensuring alignment with international commitments | ○ |
| Transparent and effective national forest governance structure | Existence of forest-related administrative bodies under the Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection, including the General Bureau of Forestry and local forest agencies at provincial, city, and county levels A top-down command system established from the central to local levels | △ | |
| Respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (community participation) | Experience in agroforestry | △ | |
| Full and effective participation of various stakeholders | Experience in the ‘Mountain User Group’ activities within agroforestry | △ | |
| Consistent actions for natural forest and biodiversity conservation | Protected areas for biodiversity cover 4.6% (as of 2015) Legal framework established, including the Natural Reserve Law (2009) and amendments to environmental protection regulations Plan for regular biodiversity surveys, monitoring, and evaluation in all forest ecosystem protected areas by 2025 | △ | |
| Measures to prevent the reversal of implementation outcomes for sustainability | None | × | |
| Prevention of emissions displacement | None | × |