National parks, protected areas and biodiversity conservation in North Korea: opportunities for international collaboration

National parks and protected areas represent one of the best ways to safeguard nature and preserve biodiversity, especially endemic and endangered species. Currently, more than 110 countries have some form of protected areas within their borders. North Korea’s comprehensive network of national parks and protected areas are rich in biodiversity and ecological value; however, contemporary research on the integrity of North Korea’s protected lands is incomplete. In this paper, we utilize a remote sensing approach to explore North Korea’s protected area system and investigate the current state of biodiversity conservation. We find that several key biodiversity areas have experienced severe tree loss and habitat fragmentation since 2000, indicating that the effectiveness of national park governance and management toward guarding against biodiversity loss is inadequate. To address the issue of biodiversity conservation, we recommend pathways for international cooperation aimed at enhancing conservation efforts and comment on the steps North Korea can take to achieve the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Targets and Sustainable Development Goals

Correction of NDVI Calculated from ASTER L1B and ASTER (AST07) Data Based on Ground Measurement

atmospheric correction of the satellite data, for example correction of visible and near-infrared spectral bands, requires removing the adjacency effect that is due to the reflection from contiguous pixels. To evaluate the accuracy of the ATCOR software atmospheric correction method of Terra/ASTER data (Jun 30, 2002) we compared the NDVI parameters taken from different sources, such as ground measurement using ground radiometric measurement data (ASD\u27s FieldSpec® Pro), atmospheric corrected ASTER L1B data and ASTER surface reflectance product (AST07) data. The study area named Sarobetsu Marsh is located in the coastal area of Hokkaido Island, Japan. It has been found that 5% of the scattering radiation is contained within the ASTER Green band, 47% of radiation was absorbed in the ASTER NIR band and 17% of radiation was absorbed in the ASTER SWIR6 band, respectively. There was no significant difference between ASD\u27s measurement values and the ATCOR software output values in the ASTER reflection band and absorption bands of chlorophyll (i.e. NIR-band and Red-band). However, differences were seen in the ASTER scattering bands (i.e. visible Green band) and soil reflection bands (i.e. ASTER SWIR bands). Comparison of the original ASD\u27s ground measurement data with the AST07 (©NASA/EOSDIS ASTER surface reflectance product data (L2B) values has revealed very low reflectance of a NIR band

Does China’s Belt and Road Initiative Threaten Food Security in Central Asia?

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) needs little introduction; the infrastructure investment will reconfigure development in Central Asia. As its origin story and initial encounter, Central Asia offers a prismatic lens to delve into the vital impacts and significant changes wrought by the BRI. In the dryland region, the BRI impact on watersheds and agriculture is a critical challenge with direct implications for food security. Framed by diverse research sources, we utilized spatial datasets from the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative and the World Bank to explore the intersection of food production, water and development. Investigation evaluates the possible trade-offs that Chinese infrastructure investment can have on the communities and environment of Central Asia. The findings identify more than 15,000 km of rail and 20,000 km of roads linked to the BRI crisscrossing the region in 2018. Whilst these transport corridors have improved connectivity, many of these rails and roads traverse important agricultural and water zones, creating undetermined risks and opportunities. Land use change was examined within a 10-km buffer around BRI roads and rails from 2008 to 2018. Railways increased by 23% during this time, yet irrigated and rainfed agriculture decreased whilst urban areas markedly expanded. Contextual research identifies how Chinese policies may encourage agribusiness investment for food exports as possible disruptions to national and regional food supply. However, to date Central Asia provides 300% in this time. Similarly, five times more livestock are traded within the region than to China. Evaluating infrastructure change is essential to understand BRI impacts on environments and societies, with the food-water nexus a particular concern in Central Asia. Limited Chinese imports of Central Asian agriculture suggests the region’s food security will not be significantly altered by the Belt and Road Initiative