(EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Oct. 2) - Rein in the rivers project

The Ministry of Environment has reportedly asked the Ministry of Land, Transport
and Maritime Affairs to provide a new water quality improvement plan for the four
river restoration project. Creating reservoirs and cleaning up the riverbed will
alter the quality of the water, the Environment Ministry said, asking for a plan
to manage water quality.
The National Institute of Environmental Research announced in May its forecast
for the change in water quality that would result from the project. The study,
however, was conducted before the decision was made to build movable dams by
constructing floodgates on reservoirs. Now, the master plan for the four river
restoration project has to change.
It is belated but fortunate that the Environment Ministry has stopped the hasty
environmental reviews. President Lee Myung-bak has repeatedly emphasized that the
four river project is not a matter of choice, but a requirement. Various
ministries have banded together to hold joint press conferences to persuade the
public. In May, officials from the Lee administration even toured the nation to
present the master plan.
And yet, various polls show that most people aren???t convinced of the need to
push forward with the project. Some still see it as a disguise to build a grand
canal, while others express concerns that the 22 trillion won ($18.7 billion)
project is being implemented too quickly.
In order to clear up all the suspicions surrounding the four river project and
win public support, it is necessary to slow down the entire program. A small
procedural flaw, after all, could lead to enormous distrust on behalf of the
public.
It is not too late to carry out the project step by step, to re-evaluate the
environmental outcome and to assess the change in water quality. The selection of
a construction firm should also be made carefully, and the process should not be
rushed.
Instead of insisting on a deadline of 2012, it may be possible to prioritize
different phases of the four river project and carry out development of them one
at a time. All concerned ministers should also engage the public more often by
holding open discussion sessions.
The four river restoration project is a state-run program of massive proportions,
and it requires a national consensus and careful consideration along the way. The
Environment Ministry???s recent request for another environmental evaluation
should serve as a reminder that we should take our time with the project. It also
could help avoid hasty implementation.
(END)