Government-Local Governments-Resident Representatives Sign Agreement to Investigate Causes of Flood Damage Downstream of Dam

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Environment signed a mutual cooperation agreement on the 28th with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to investigate the causes of flood damage downstream of dams, involving resident representatives, the government, and local governments.

Previously, resident representatives and the government agreed through several meetings to form a resident-participatory investigation council and to proceed with an investigation service to identify the causes of flood damage last summer.

At the agreement ceremony, government ministries including the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of the Interior and Safety, five metropolitan local governments including Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do, as well as representatives of flood-affected residents downstream of Seomjingang Dam, Yongdam and Daecheong Dams, and Hapcheon and Namgang Dams signed the mutual cooperation agreement.

The main contents of the agreement are as follows.

First, the government will promptly conduct an investigation into the overall causes of flood damage related to dams and rivers through a professional institution's investigation service. The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will jointly fund the investigation service, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will participate in the investigation service regarding matters other than funding.

The investigation council will be composed of an equal number of experts recommended by the central government, experts recommended by local governments, and representatives of affected residents, and will serve an advisory and supervisory role throughout the entire investigation service process.

Each institution and representatives of affected residents agreed to respect the investigation service results and the operation regulations of the investigation council as much as possible and to actively cooperate to ensure the smooth execution of the investigation service.

Kim Dong-jin, Director of the Water Resources Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "In accordance with the spirit of the agreement involving resident representatives, the government, and local governments, a fair and objective investigation into the causes of flood damage will be conducted."

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