"Let's Save Birds Dying from Human Selfishness"... Gyeonggi-do Prepares Measures Against Bird Collisions

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is promoting the enactment of an ordinance along with a pilot project to reduce accidents in which wild birds collide with and die from 'transparent soundproof walls' installed on roads or around apartments.

This project is attracting attention as it will be carried out on a large scale in connection with 31 cities and counties in the province to prevent numerous wild birds from colliding with transparent artificial structures due to human selfishness that pursues only urban aesthetics and convenience of life.

Earlier, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, after volunteering with others to attach collision prevention tape along a 200-meter section of transparent soundproof wall near Misa Middle School in Hanam City last November, said, "Even small stickers on the wall can help birds recognize the soundproof wall and significantly reduce collisions," urging residents' interest by adding, "With just a little effort, many lives can be saved."

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 22nd that it will invest 600 million won this year to conduct a pilot project through a public contest among cities and counties to add patterns of certain specifications to transparent soundproof walls, and will also promote the enactment of the 'Wild Bird Collision Reduction Ordinance' (tentative name).

According to the 'Study on Measures to Prevent Wild Bird Deaths Caused by Artificial Structures' conducted by the National Institute of Ecology in 2018 at the request of the Ministry of Environment, 7.88 million wild birds nationwide die annually from collisions with transparent artificial structures.

To prevent wild bird collision accidents, the province formed a dedicated task force (TF) last November consisting of 10 teams from 4 departments and bureaus, and plans to organize a civilian monitoring group of about 100 volunteers this month. The civilian monitoring group will conduct systematic inspections of wild bird collision accidents, focusing on pilot project sites.

In addition, next month, through a public contest among cities and counties, two or more transparent artificial structures will be selected as pilot project sites, with 600 million won invested in these locations. The target area includes the transparent soundproof wall on Local Road No. 98 in Maesong-myeon, Hwaseong City, which is directly managed by the province. Twenty million won will be invested here. Furthermore, 160 million won will be invested in bird collision prevention facilities on three newly constructed roads scheduled to have transparent soundproof walls installed this year: Anseong Bulhyeon~Sinjang, Gimpo Chojidaegyo~Incheon, and Paju Jeokseong~Duil.

Bird collision prevention facilities will also be pilot-installed on government buildings with glass exterior walls larger than 100㎡ owned, managed, or operated by the province and its affiliated public institutions.

The province will also proceed with the enactment of an ordinance as part of measures to reduce bird collisions.

The ordinance will include an improved version of the 'Gyeonggi Province Soundproof Wall Design Guideline' and 'Eco-friendly Soundproof Wall Installation Standards' that can be directly applied to roads implemented and managed by the province.

It will also mandate bird collision reduction measures for projects subject to environmental impact assessments in Gyeonggi Province and recommend such measures for other national environmental impact assessment projects.

Son Im-seong, Director of Urban Policy at the province, said, "Wildlife, precious coexisting subjects, have been sacrificed countless times due to transparent artificial structures installed without any consideration for human convenience, building, and urban aesthetics," adding, "The consideration planned by Gyeonggi Province for wild birds is not a 'selective compassion' bestowed by humans but a 'mandatory consideration' that must be done for our lives and safety as equal members of the ecosystem," urging residents' interest and support.

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