Four Major Rivers Project: Difference between revisions
partial revert - not an advertisment. Simply removing referenced material in support of this project is just as unacceptable as removing referenced material critical of the project |
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===Illegal and undemocratic conventions=== |
===Illegal and undemocratic conventions=== |
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In spite of so many problems including environmental and socioeconomic problems, The Four Major Rivers Project carried out by the [[Lee Myung-Bak government]] has ignored nearly all the legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project.<ref>{{cite journal | title = The Four Major Rivers Project: Destruction of East-asian Ecological Axis as an Example of Social Retrogression Derived from Anti-ecological Thought | journal = Hwangyeong Cheolhak (환경철학) | date = 2010 | first = Min Gull (민걸) | last = Jeung (정) | volume = 10| id = | url = http://www.papersearch.net/view/detail.asp?detail_key=0t200101 | accessdate = 2011-09-03}}</ref> |
In spite of so many problems including environmental and socioeconomic problems, The Four Major Rivers Project carried out by the [[Lee Myung-Bak government]] has ignored nearly all the legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project.<ref>{{cite journal | title = The Four Major Rivers Project: Destruction of East-asian Ecological Axis as an Example of Social Retrogression Derived from Anti-ecological Thought | journal = Hwangyeong Cheolhak (환경철학) | date = 2010 | first = Min Gull (민걸) | last = Jeung (정) | volume = 10| id = | url = http://www.papersearch.net/view/detail.asp?detail_key=0t200101 | accessdate = 2011-09-03}}</ref> |
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'''<big>Project's side of water quality improvement</big>''' |
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Below is the excerpt from Korean article which depicts the project's effect on restoration of river water quality<ref>http://www.apec-vc.or.kr/?p_name=information&sub_page=current_issue&gotopage=1&query=view&unique_num=168</ref> |
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The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, the state-led construction project to repair the rivers Han, Nakdong, Yeongsan and Geum, is a plan for the future, to pass down clean water sources to the next generations. Some argue that the project will only leave the ecology in ruins, but nothing could be farther from the truth. This article describes some of the expected results after the project is completed on all four rivers. |
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Divide the amount of water pollutants by the amount of water flow and you’ll get the figure for the pollution level of a river. To reduce the level of pollution, the solution is to either increase the amount of water flow or decrease the amount of pollutants. |
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The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project intends to establish dams, reservoirs, banks and other environment-friendly facilities to enlarge water basins, so that a larger amount of clean water can be secured. This also entails establishing a bigger sewage system, facilities to prevent green algae and re-alignment of nearby farmlands to control the usage of fertilizer and other materials that could harm the river. |
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Once the project is completed, Korea will have secured extra reservoir space that can contain 1.3 billion cubic meters of water. More water will mean less water pollution, even during the dry season. Projects like dredging up mud from the river bottom can also have the same effect of eliminating pollutants. |
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The government has selected 34 out of 66 regions close to the rivers that need intense pollution control. The government also has plans to pursue over 1,300 kinds of pollution-reduction projects and install a total phosphorus (TP) facility on some 250 waste water systems. |
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The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) testified that extra water will assure a significant improvement in water quality in all four rivers by 2012. According to the NIER estimate, Korea will have increased the rate of clean water from the current 76 percent to 86 percent by having reduced the level of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) within water to below 3㎎/ℓ (the lower the BOD, the better the water). |
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Water with such a low BOD level only requires a filtering system and not chemical procedures to make it potable. Check out the present conditions of the four rivers. |
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Current river water quality |
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The state of the Nakdong River has been deteriorating since 2003. The Ministry of Environment revealed in its study that 27 out of 41 water courses showed steady increases in their BOD after comparing the figures from 2004 to 2009. The pollutants that continued to accumulate within the riverbeds were mostly blamed on the reduction of water and increase of algae, especially during the dry season. In such cases even the most advanced water treatment system will have trouble completely cleansing the river. |
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The water of the Nakdong River is being used by people in the Busan region. The extra water expected to be secured through the four rivers project is likely to play a great role in tackling this problem. |
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The Geum River is not in great shape either. Again, the environment ministry revealed through its three-year study from 2007 to 2009 that its annual water quality has only worsened. Its BOD level went up by 36.7 percent, attributed to the influx of earth and sand that continued to pile up beneath the river and together with pollutants from nearby farmlands. |
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Experts believe the problem can be taken care of by employing an advanced water treatment system that comes with dredging river bottoms, erecting reservoir beams and wider water-friendly systems within the city. |
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The Yeongsan River used to be one of the key watercourses to the sea. But the influx of sea water through the tidal flow led to the creation of three dams on the upper river region and Yeongsan estuary bank. The existing water source moved from the Yeongsan River to the nearby rivers of Seomjin and Tamjin, leaving the Yeongsan largely as a venue for processing of daily sewage and livestock waste. |
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Things turned worse when waste water from factories and other waste systems started to flow in directly. After some re-arrangement from the River Project, the Yeongsan River in the Damyang region is expected to re-gain its old status as having clean, safe water. |
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The Han River is in somewhat better condition than other rivers mentioned above, thanks to more prompt investment from the government. However, seasonal changes in the amount of pollutants and the advent of small amounts of harmful substances that don’t even show up on BOD or chemical oxygen demand (COD) scales are some concerning signs. |
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Water pollution intensifies around February to April, due to reduction of water inflow and it is also the period when farmers apply fertilizer to their farms around the region. Some of the fertilizer leaches into the water table, and then to the river. |
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The waterway of the Han River needs to be realigned, three new reservoirs need to be created and the existing 12 ones enlarged to secure an additional 50 million tons of water. This will prevent the loss of water captured during the wet seasons to be supplied during the dry season from February to April and prevent further pollution. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 12:33, 9 September 2011
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The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project of South Korea is the multi-purpose green growth project on the Han River (Korea), Nakdong River, Geum River and Yeongsan River. This restoration project will provide water security, flood control and ecosystem vitality. This project was first announced as part of the “Green New Deal” policy launched in January 2009. It was later included in the South Korean five-year national plan released by the government in July 2009 and its funding, a total of 22.2 trillion won (Approximately 17.3 billion USD), is reflected in the five-year plan total investment.
The overall project consists of three sets of projects: 1) Main projects – the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers revitalization projects; 2) projects on the 14 tributaries of the four major rivers; and 3) refurbishment for other smaller-sized streams. The Four Major River Restoration Project has five key objectives: 1) securing abundant water resources against water scarcity; 2) implementing comprehensive flood control measures; 3) improving water quality and restoring ecosystems; 4) creation of multipurpose spaces for local residents; and 5) regional development centred on rivers.
More than 929 km of national streams will be restored as part of the Four Major River Restoration Project. A follow-up project will be planned to restore more than 10,000 km of local streams. More than 35 riparian wetlands will also be reconstructed.
Background
The Four Rivers Restoration Project of Korea is a packaged project that aims to resolve water-related problems such as floods and droughts and renew Korean territory centering on water. It is also a comprehensive pan-government project that consists of various plans set up by diverse ministries with massive investment over a short-term period.
Korean government estimated an adequate amount of water resources to prepare for future water scarcity. (800 million ㎥ in 2011, and one billion ㎥ in 2016 expected) Excessive amount of budget has been spent in recovering water-related damages that could have been saved through investment in disaster prevention measures. (Average annual investment in flood prevention: 1.1 trillion KRW / Recovery expenses: 4.2 trillion KRW) Korea is to strengthen the management of pollutants to improve water quality due to the increase of Chemical oxygen demand that takes a long time for degradation and Total Phosphorus that results in eutrophication.
Existing spaces and programs for water sports and cultural activities cannot meet the rising demand from the rise of income levels.
This river restoration plans are to be congruous and comprehensive since rivers have diverse functions related to water storage and control, environment, development, and leisure.
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is to contribute to recovering the real economy from the recession through job creation and local economic revitalization.
Policy Direction
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project has the following policy directions
Proactive response against climate change
- Secure water resources in various ways to deal with droughts
- Convert from investment centered on disaster recovery into investment focused on prevention
Diversification of ways to secure water resources
- Dredging sediments, Elevation of banks around agricultural reservoirs
- Expansion and connection of existing water resources facilities
- Continuous development of new water resources
Paradigm shift in river management policies
- River management policies such as dredging sediment will expand the flood spilling capacity
- Initial investment for prevention measures to minimize flood damages will be augmented.
Utilization of river areas as multipurpose spaces for the co-existence of the people and environment
- Gradual adjustment of riverside farmlands
- Creation of new areas for leisurely activities utilizing rivers
- Improvement of the access to waterfronts
- Enhance the value of the riverside as scenic areas
- Pursue regional development centered on rivers that elevates regional culture, ecological landscape, and quality of life.
Main Aspects
Implementation of five core challenges to achieve the goal of renewing the territory
- Korea is trying to secure adequate water supply (1.3 billion ㎥) to respond to future water scarcity and severe drought due to climate change. To this end, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will build reservoirs and small dams, and expand the storage capacity of agricultural reservoirs.
- Preemptive measures are necessary against repetitive floods due to climate change, as well as 200-year floods. Therefore, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime is starting to dredge sediment, strengthen old levees, and build dams. (Secure 920 million ㎥ of flood control capacity)
- By 2012, the water quality of the mainstream will be improved to an average of level two (Biochemical Oxygen Demand less than 3ppm) by expanding sewage treatment facilities and establishing green algae reduction facilities. Moreover, the ministry is trying to restore ecological rivers, create wetlands, and readjust farmlands to rehabilitate the ecosystem.
- Rivers will turn into multipurpose areas for lifestyle, leisure, tourism, cultural activities, and green growth. To this end, bicycle lanes (1,728 km) will be developed, hands-on tour programs will be promoted, and walkways and sports facilities will be expanded.
- The project will also contribute to regional development through various plans that utilize the infrastructure planned in the project and the scenery. The examples are ‘Four major rivers that flow with culture’ of Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and ‘Creating a vivid land of beautiful scenery’ of Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Project time and cost
- Restoration of the four mainstreams such as dredging sediments and building reservoirs will be completed by 2011. Projects for the branch streams as well as building dams and agricultural reservoirs will be completed by 2012.
- Total cost is estimated at 16.9 trillion KRW.
Twelve cities and provinces submitted 836 recommendations worth 98.3 trillion KRW
- River-related 213 cases worth 6.9 trillion KRW that were coherent with the master plan were reflected. Examples are dredging sediments, fortifying levees, and restoring ecological rivers.
Expected Benefits
An opportunity for Korea to position itself as a powerhouse in water resources in the international community
Fundamental resolution of floods and water scarcity
- 1.3 billion ㎥ of water secured will strengthen our capacity to respond to future water shortage and droughts.
- Increased water storage thanks to dredging sediment and building reservoirs will equip us against droughts.
- Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs can be able to secure river maintenance water and strengthen flood control capacity even during droughts by building small sized multipurpose dams and expanding existing agricultural reservoirs.
- Flood control capacity increased by 920 million ㎥ will enable us to fight climate change and keep our rivers safe even upon 200-year floods.
- Flood damage and recovery expenses will decrease by dredging sediment.
- The down-streams will be protected by retention and riverside reservoirs.
- The reinforcement of old levees will raise the safety in flood control
Contribution to sound restoration of the ecosystem
- Secure swimmable water quality (level two, Biochemical Oxygen Demand 3ppm) by 2012, earlier than the originally scheduled 2015.
- Improvement of the environment through restoration of ecological rivers and development of waterside belts
- Readjustment of farmlands in riversides will reduce non-point pollution sources and improve the ecological environment.
Increased quality of cultural and leisurely activities, and lives
- Local residents will enjoy culture, relaxation, and sports in redeveloped waterfronts
- The promotion of water sports and the construction of bicycle lanes will increase the opportunity for leisurely activities.
Local economies revitalized through the Green New Deal
- The real economy will be recovered by stimulating domestic demand and creating new jobs.
- As a part of the Green New Deal, the rivers restoration project will be utilized as a new growth engine.
- The benefits reaped from the project on the four major rivers areas which account for 70 percent of our territory will contribute to regional development.
- Regional growth will be accelerated through the rivers-oriented development.
- Overall, it is expected that the project will create 340,000 jobs and generate an estimated 40 trillion won (US$ 31.1 billion) of positive economic effects.
Promotion of green growth projects
- Clean-IT sensors to manage the river environment and disasters will be applied to this project
- The development of remote sensors will enable real-time monitoring of water pollution, water level, vulnerable areas upon disasters, and facilities such as bridges and dams.
- Establishment of a digital tour system for the four major rivers
- Digital tours on the culture and historic sites of the four major rivers will be promoted. To this end, the government will support technological development, commercialization, and international standardization of wireless communication, and positioning system.
- Development of unmanned underwater robots for environmental management of the four major rivers
- Scientific management of resources and environment of the underwater which is difficult to access will become possible by using robots.
- Installment of photovoltaic and small hydropower power plants
- Photovoltaic power generation facilities will be built in riversides that are not submerged.
- The government will construct small hydropower plants when expanding existing reservoirs and agricultural reservoirs.
Criticism of the project
The Four Major Rivers Project has attracted significant criticism from environmental groups in South Korea and wider international groups such as Friends of the Earth. The criticism has also been seized upon by others who are more generally opposed to the South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak's, administration. The criticism centers around:
- The economic viability of the project.
- The project's doubtful goal, suspected for Grand Korean Waterway.[1]
- The fact that the Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out before the project plans were completed.
- The fact that the four provinces that host the project currently have a relatively few water management problems while Gangwon Province and the highlands have a greater need for water management.
- The project plan fails to identify the reason to store the rivers' waters.
- The project will change the natural flow of the rivers and increase erosion.
- Once completed, the project will reduce leisure access to the riverbanks.
Diverting rivers and constructing stepped artificial lakes
Too many purposes with one project does not mean so economic. Actually the key plan of the Major Project are constructing 16 dams in main streams of the four major rivers. You can read the fact in one of 2010 March issues of Science Magazine.[2] Then the rivers will turn into artificial stepped lakes.[3]
Environmental Impact Assessment without a plan
That long total length of 929 km of the four major rivers is being totally transformed into stepped lakes just in two years. And the magnificent length of local streams will be transformed into artificial water channel by the end of President Lee Myung-bak's term, the end of the year 2012. In October 2009 the Lee Administration announced the environmental impact assessment of the Major Project had been finished and there would be no harmful impact on the four major rivers' ecosystems. However, the project just started by a turn-key bid on September 9, 2009. Thus the administration finished environmental impact assessment required legally without plans. Anyhow the administration is still making plans. For example it had advisory conference to plan riverside ecological park restoration construction on August 2010. The plan includes mainly constructing seasonal flower gardens and oak forests on the high-water lands.[4]
Pollutions
- There was a report of polluted underground water in Changweon, Gyeongsangnam-do due to this construction project.[5]
- The Ministry of Environmental Affairs announced on August 7th, 2011, that it identified 12,660 tons of abandoned construction waste around the 11 main construction sites.[6]
Fraudulent goals
The areas of high risk of flood and drought damage are located mainly in Gangwon Province and highlands.[7] But the areas of the project are located in other provinces(Gyunggi, Gyungsang, Junra and Choongchung) and lowlands.[8] If doing something in the area of no problem makes benefits in the other area of problem, then that is unprecedented technology. Thus Korean Government will lead the world in technology of water management.
The specific usage of newly stored water never be mentioned by the Lee Myung-bak Administration.[9] It just says the stored water will maintain enough water in the newly constructed stepped lakes. That's it. No more beneficiary use of the water secured.
There is a suspicion that the planners only produced 1% of the all of the jobs required to finish the project.[10]
Increased risk of flooding
Dredging will increase water flow velocity and erosion in upper streams and flooding in lower reaches. In fact a bridge was collapsed by such a reaction.[11]
Separation of the people from nature
Lee Administration says two year span as gradual. The administration never estimated demand of leisure facilities newly built after removing natural riparian vegetation. Most new facility areas are remote from dense population area. After deepening water you cannot walk in water. You will see warning sign of "Dangerous! Keep out!" as by the Han River in Seoul. You can just enjoy cruise boat with reasonably high fare for the owner of the boat to make money enough. The Lee Myung-bak administration has a plan to plant garden flowers after removing wild vegetation from riparian ecosystems and flattening level-upped riversides. And it also has plan to oak trees on some of them.
River expert, Hans Bernhart of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, criticized the Four Major Rivers Project for the wide destruction of natural riverine environment according to his investigation along the Nakdong river.[12]
Financial risk
The Professors' Group for Opposing the River & Waterway Project (운하반대교수모임) opposes this project by stating that the annual maintenance budget after the constructions would cost very expensive, around one trillion won.[13][14]
PR issues
- The project PR department had conducted field trips for SNU students and had ignored or deflect criticisms from them.[15]
Illegal and undemocratic conventions
In spite of so many problems including environmental and socioeconomic problems, The Four Major Rivers Project carried out by the Lee Myung-Bak government has ignored nearly all the legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project.[16]
References
- ^ 펄펄 끓는 '대운하 논쟁' 2008-12-20 Maeil]
- ^ Dennis Normile. 2010. Restoration or Devastation. Science 1568-1570, March 26, 2010.
- ^ Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2009. Masterplan for the Four Major Rivers Project.(in Korean) July 2009.
- ^ Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2010. Plan for Constructing Senery along the Geum River. August 2010.(in Korean)
- ^ Yoon (윤), Seong-hyo (성효) (2011-06-19). "15년 잘 먹던 지하수, 4대강사업 탓에 구정물됐어요". OhMyNews (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-03.
- ^ Pyo (표), Ju-yeon (주연) (2011-08-07). "4대강 사업 쓰레기 5808t '방치'". Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ Lee Myung-Bak. 2009. 국민과의 대화(Talk with Peoples) Aired on November 27, 2009, MBC(Korean broadcasting company)
- ^ MBC. 착공 한 달 전 기로에 선 4대강 사업. Aired on September 8, 2009.
- ^ Hong Hung-Pyo. 착공 한 달 전 기로에 선 4대강 사업. Aired on September 8, 2009. MBC.
- ^ Park (박), Yeong-ryul (영률) (2011-06-19). "4대강 공정률 70~80%… 작년 일자리는 목표치 1%대". The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-13.
- ^ http://www.kfem.or.kr/kbbs/bbs/board.php?bo_table=hissue&wr_id=21832
- ^ Kim (김), Seon-gyeong (선경) (2011-08-15). "낙동강 찾은 獨 하천전문가 "4대강사업 중단해야"". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ “4대강 유지관리 年 1조 든다” 2011-03-28 Kyunghyang
- ^ Park (박), Yeong-ryul (영률) (2011-06-15). "완공뒤에도 '돈먹는 4대강'…연 유지비 2400억~1조원". The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-03.
- ^ Jeong (정), Hwan-bo (환보) (2010-11-09). "대학생 MT까지 '4대강 홍보' 이용". Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ^ Jeung (정), Min Gull (민걸) (2010). "The Four Major Rivers Project: Destruction of East-asian Ecological Axis as an Example of Social Retrogression Derived from Anti-ecological Thought". Hwangyeong Cheolhak (환경철학). 10. Retrieved 2011-09-03.