Environmental degradation in the Korean Peninsula: Evidence from the environmental degradation index

Effectively evaluating environmental degradation in the Korean Peninsula is of great significance for promoting sustainable development in Northeast Asia. However, previous studies mostly focused on single environmental element, which could not comprehensively and effectively reveal the environmental degradation dynamics. In this study, we aimed to reveal and analyze the environmental degradation in the Korean Peninsula from 2000 to 2022 using the Environmental Degradation Index (EDI) developed by considering multiple environmental elements. The results indicated that the environment of the Korean Peninsula exhibited a significantly degraded trend, with the degraded area (65,118.75 km2) accounting for approximately 29.96 % of the entire peninsula during 2000-2022. The North Korean environment showed a significant degradation trend, while the environmental conditions in South Korea have shown a trend of improvement. By comparing these two countries, North Korea has undergone more significant environmental degradation. The environmentally degraded area of North Korea was 37,142.75 km2, which was 1.33 times that of the degraded area in South Korea. Cropland expansion and forest loss were major causes of environmental deterioration in North Korea. North Korea and South Korea could strengthen intergovernmental environmental cooperation to promote sustainable development on the Korean Peninsula as well as Northeast Asia.