Reducing the Interval for Interagency Rainfall Forecast Data Provision to 1 Hour for Flood Response

'Hangang Flood Control Office - Korea Meteorological Administration - Korea Water Resources Corporation' Flood Response Policy Council Held
Promoting Customized Information Sharing, Personnel Exchange and Communication Enhancement, and Observation Infrastructure Sharing

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Ju Sang-don] Ahead of this year's flood season (June 21 to September 20 annually), the frequency of rainfall forecast data provision among agencies will increase from 4 times a day to 24 times a day. The data provision interval will be shortened from 6 hours to 1 hour.

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 17th that it will strengthen the response system of related agencies for flood response accordingly.

To this end, the Ministry of Environment will hold a 'Flood Response Related Agencies Policy Council' via video conference on the 18th, involving the Hangang Flood Control Office (Water Resources Information Center), the Korea Meteorological Administration (Hydro-Meteorological Team), and the Korea Water Resources Corporation (Water Resources Operation Department). At this meeting, they will review cooperation plans for ▲ customized information sharing among agencies ▲ personnel exchange and communication enhancement ▲ joint use of observation infrastructure.

With the rainfall forecast interval shortened to 1 hour, the Ministry of Environment expects that flood warnings and special reports from the Flood Control Office and the Korea Water Resources Corporation’s decisions on dam discharge volume and timing will be utilized more effectively.

To strengthen flood response, personnel exchange and communication among agencies will also be enhanced. Four Flood Control Offices under the Ministry of Environment (Hangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang, Yeongsangang) and Korea Water Resources Corporation officials will receive customized training at the Korea Meteorological Administration starting from March this year to improve their understanding of meteorological information. From the flood season, meteorological and flood forecasting experts will begin joint operations via video conference, further strengthening the linkage between meteorology, flood forecasting, and dam management.

Observation infrastructure owned by each agency will also be jointly utilized. The Flood Control Offices and Korea Water Resources Corporation will provide the Korea Meteorological Administration with rainfall gauge observation data from 612 units they own, shortening the existing 10-minute interval to 1-minute intervals. Additionally, if the Korea Meteorological Administration selects observation stations requiring meteorological observation equipment and informs the Ministry of Environment, the Flood Control Offices and Korea Water Resources Corporation will provide installation locations, and the Korea Meteorological Administration will install the related equipment.

Kim Dong-jin, Director of Water Resources Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, said, "We will do our best to establish an organic flood response system among agencies before this year's flood season to prevent flood damage."

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