How botanic gardens can be key in solving global environmental challenges

Up next, a showcase here in Seoul suggests botanical gardens may be the key to sustainable solutions to some environmental concerns.

Our Byeon Ye-young files this report.

Environmental issues are a global challenge.

But there's one solution that can boost biodiversity and cool the local environment: botanical gardens and arboretums.

An event in Seoul is opening a new chapter in exploring their role in tackling environmental issues: The 11th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens.

"From June 9th to 13th, the COEX Grand Ballroom has been transformed into a global hub for botanical garden education—where ideas take root and grow into solutions for a greener future."

The global forum on botanical garden education comes to East Asia for the first time.

This year's theme is "Education for Change: Botanic Gardens' Role in Addressing Global Challenges".

At the core of the conversations is the importance of working together as a community to mitigate environmental challenges.

Keynote speaker Choi Jae-chun posed the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of imbalances in biodiversity.

"If this severe imbalance in biodiversity isn't addressed in some way, we'll continue to face situations like this repeatedly --it's simply a matter of probability."

He highlighted the importance of botanical gardens as a means to promote biodiversity and raise interest in environmental conservation.

Another keynote speaker Shahbaz Khan discussed the vital role of UNESCO in reversing climate change and highlighted botanical gardens as key tools in building sustainability.

"Botanical gardens are important for keeping the cities cool, and they can be an answer to increasing temperatures. They can help us reduce the needs for the air conditioning for example."

He pointed to thermal images of a city which showed how places with gardens had cooler temperatures, and underscored the importance of botanical gardens in conserving plant species.

Over the course of five days, participants are engaging in workshops, panel discussions, and a field trip to the Korea National Arboretum, as they work toward a greener, more sustainable planet.

Botanical artwork brings a colorful, creative layer to the educational experience, while booths showcase various contributions to environmental preservation.

Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.