Gwangju City-Yeongsangang Office-Gwangsan District Join Hands to Protect Jangnok Wetland Ecosystem

Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "We Must Find Ways for Residents' Quality of Life and Ecological Environment to Coexist"

On the morning of the 13th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement for the efficient conservation and management of Jangnok Wetland with Ryu Yeon-gi, Director of the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office, and Kim Sam-ho, Mayor of Gwangsan District, in the city hall business room. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 13th that it signed a "Memorandum of Understanding for the Efficient Conservation and Management of Jangnok Wetland" together with the Yeongsangang River Basin Environmental Office and Gwangsan-gu.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop, Director Ryu Yeon-gi, and District Chief Kim Sam-ho attended the agreement ceremony.

This agreement was signed to efficiently conserve and manage the biodiversity and excellent wetland ecosystem of Jangnok Wetland, which was designated as a national wetland protection area on December 8 last year.

The agreement mainly includes joint cooperation on ▲ ecological protection and environmental conservation of Jangnok Wetland ▲ wise use and awareness-raising activities of Jangnok Wetland ▲ administrative and financial support necessary for the management of Jangnok Wetland and resolution of on-site civil complaints.

Additionally, to implement the cooperation matters, a council consisting of the agreement parties and experts will be formed, and operational matters will be decided through mutual consultation.

This memorandum of understanding, in which related administrative agencies jointly prepare conservation and management plans, is the first case for Jangnok Wetland, and Gwangju City plans to make it a treasure trove of ecosystems while increasing its economic value and transforming it into a cultural space.

Gwangju City and Gwangsan-gu, which are closest to local residents, will devise wise usage plans through opinion gathering, and the Yeongsangang River Basin Environmental Office will support resolving wetland-related issues by acting as a bridge between local governments and central government ministries.

The three institutions, including Gwangju City, expect to establish a joint cooperation system through this agreement to secure the efficiency of wetland protection and to play a central role in establishing and promoting future conservation plans for Jangnok Wetland.

Meanwhile, Jangnok Wetland, as an urban wetland, was evaluated as an area with outstanding biodiversity and a high need for management and conservation, but due to its location within the city, there was a sharp conflict between development and conservation positions.

Nevertheless, it is regarded as a model case where conflicts were mediated and social consensus was reached through the formation of a consultative body involving Gwangju City, Gwangsan-gu, related organizations, and civic groups, leading to its designation as a national wetland protection area on December 8 last year.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop of Gwangju said, "Jangnok Wetland holds symbolic significance as the first urban-type national wetland protection area designated through community consensus," adding, "Since the project does not end with the designation as a national wetland, we must make greater efforts and find ways to maintain the ecological environment as a national wetland while not affecting the quality of life of residents."

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