Focused Management of Summer Disasters and Safety Accidents such as Floods, Heatwaves, and Water Play

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Related Ministries Jointly Make Every Effort to Minimize Damage

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will intensively inspect and strengthen preparedness against flood and wind disasters, heatwaves, and water play safety accidents, which repeatedly cause damage every summer.

According to the Ministry on the 21st, this summer's rainfall is expected to be similar to or less than the average (723.2mm), but due to atmospheric instability, heavy rainfalls are increasing, and the number of heatwave days is forecasted to be 20-25 days (tropical nights 12-17 days), more than the average (9.8 days) or last year (13.3 days).

In particular, as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has sharply reduced overseas travel demand, domestic major travel destinations are expected to see a relative increase in water play activities, making more thorough disaster safety accident preparedness necessary.

Accordingly, the government will first inspect blind spots in flood and wind disaster safety management, expand areas at risk of casualties, designate multiple on-site supervisors (public officials) and managers (resident representatives), strengthen surveillance activities, and install risk-blocking facilities to enhance safety management.

Additionally, to provide user-tailored risk notifications, the existing method of sending risk alert messages to unspecified many will be pilot-tested by sending them only to vulnerable residents such as those in landslide-prone areas. A 'rapid vehicle flood risk alert system' will also be expanded and established targeting riverside parking lots where vehicle flooding accidents repeatedly occur every year.

To prevent heatwave damage and the spread of COVID-19 during summer, a geographic information system (GIS) integrating heatwave-related information such as heatwave warnings (Korea Meteorological Administration), heat-related illness cases (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), and heatwave crisis alert levels (Ministry of the Interior and Safety) will be built and used for situation management. At the same time, disinfection of indoor cooling shelters currently open to the public will be strengthened, and outdoor cooling shelters such as pavilions and parks will be additionally expanded to minimize public inconvenience.

To reduce elderly casualties in rice paddies and fields, which account for 34% of heat-related illness deaths (46 deaths out of 134 heat-related illness cases since 2011), promotional campaigns such as calling parents to check on their well-being will be intensified.

Central ministries including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will form a 'Water Play Safety Inter-Ministerial Council' to implement systematic safety management measures such as safety inspections and COVID-19 prevention education. Local governments will also establish cooperative safety and quarantine systems with related agencies and continuously conduct inspections to ensure compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines at water play sites.

Furthermore, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, temporary housing facilities for disaster victims and indoor cooling shelters will reduce capacity by 50% and strictly manage disinfection to prevent infectious disease spread indoors through social distancing. Safety measures such as shade facilities, distancing between users, and use of personal items will also be promoted during water play activities.

Ahn Young-gyu, Director of Disaster Management at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "We will thoroughly prepare to prevent casualties from disaster safety accidents this summer along with COVID-19 quarantine," and urged, "We ask the public to cooperate by following summer safety rules for a safe summer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.