S. Korea to spend 16.9 tln won on river restoration work

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will spend 16.9 trillion won (US$13.5
billion) in the coming years to enhance the water quality and supply system of
its four major rivers, the government said Monday.

The masterplan for the "Four-river Restoration Project" to be completed by 2012
calls for large-scale dredging operations of river bottoms, construction of small
dams, catch basins and reservoirs that can store up to 1.3 billion cubic meters
of fresh water and greatly raise water quality, the Ministry of Land, Transport
and Maritime Affairs said.
The Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers development work aims to prevent
floods, cope with water shortages and create jobs through construction work and
better use of resources.
The ministry said the country spends on average 8 trillion won every year to deal
with floods, while estimates claim that the country will suffer a water shortage
of 1 billion cubic meters by 2016 due to climate change. Water shortages can also
lead to sharp deterioration of water quality that can have serious repercussion
for the four rivers that flow through the country's major cities, industrial
centers and key farmlands.
The plan is a finalized version of "green new deal" policy initiative outlined by
the government's regional development committee in December 2008 and part of the
eco-friendly economic growth program pursued by the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Under the plan, 16 new catch basins that can hold an additional 800 million cubic
meters of water will be built with close to 100 reservoirs being refurbished to
provide 250 million cubic meters of water for farmlands.
The project will call for two medium sized dams to be built with two existing
dams to be connected to better regulate water on the Nakdong River. The river
flows through the country's southeastern region and frequently suffers from
spring droughts.
Up to 573 km of river banks will be strengthened, with flood gates to be built on
the estuary of the Nakdong and Yeongsan rivers to help prevent floods.
The water quality of the four rivers will be raised to relatively clean "Grade
II" levels that have a biological oxygen demand of less than 3 parts per million
(ppm). Such water is capable of sustaining most aquatic life and can be used for
recreational purposes.
As of 2008, roughly 76 percent of the four rivers have Grade II levels, a figure
that will be raised to 83-86 percent by 2012.
State funds will also be used to create "model villages" to attract tourists that
will opt for eco-friendly methods to grow farm products for the 3.9 million
people who live near the four rivers.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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