Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- The desertification of land is now being raised as a more serious global issue.

According to a recent survey, 110 countries and regions are threatened with desertification and 2.1 billion people are living in the desert and drought-stricken areas. 90 percent among them are residents of developing countries.

Due to the desertification 12 million ha of land is lost and it causes an economic loss of 42 billion U.S. dollars every year.

Many countries in the world, therefore, consider it as an urgent task to prevent desertification and are channeling enormous efforts into forest conservation and afforestation.

Over the last 5 years China has protected 1 717 square kilometers of land from desertification on an annual average.

Pakistan plans to wage a nationwide tree planting movement two times every year till 2015 and is steadily pushing forward this. Indonesia is conducting a strong campaign against the destruction of ecological environment.

Jordan is planting trees of various species in desert extending about 400 square kilometers according to the plan to build a green barrier.

African and Latin American countries are taking a variety of measures, regarding it as part of the important work for the eradication of poverty and economic development to prevent desertification.

Multi-lateral and regional cooperation is also getting brisk to prevent desertification.

African countries are now making sustained persevering efforts to create a woodland 5 kilometers in width and 7 000 kilometers in length in desert and semi-desert zones from areas south of Sahara to areas east of it via costal areas of the Red Sea.

Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay made a decision to cooperate with one another and prevent ecological environment in their common border areas and are putting it into practice.

The efforts of different countries to prevent desertification will make a great contribution to the socio-economic development and the improvement of the living conditions of their peoples.