Ministry of Environment and K-water to Expand Support Projects for Carbon-Neutral Dam Surrounding Areas Including Renewable Energy Facilities

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Environment and Korea Water Resources Corporation announced on the 30th that they will shift and promote the 'Dam Surrounding Area Support Project' to a carbon-neutral type project that coexists with local residents, thereby contributing to the realization of a '2050 Carbon Neutral Society.'

The Dam Surrounding Area Support Project is a project aimed at increasing income and improving welfare in dam surrounding areas through resident life support and job creation, funded by a portion of the revenue from public water supply and power sales contributed by water service providers, in accordance with the 'Act on Dam Construction and Support for Surrounding Areas.'

The Ministry of Environment plans to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Dam Construction Act by the end of this year to add carbon-neutral project contents such as renewable energy facility projects to the detailed project contents of the support project. The revision will include provisions allowing the Minister of Environment to establish policy directions and detailed procedures and standards necessary for implementing carbon-neutral dam surrounding area support projects. Additionally, from a long-term perspective, a post-evaluation system will be introduced for the dam surrounding area support project to promote quantitative and qualitative expansion of support projects by providing benefits (incentives) to projects that respond to government policies such as carbon neutrality.

Along with this, the Ministry of Environment plans to include carbon-neutral project cases and new items in the operational standards for support projects established annually by Korea Water Resources Corporation, and to present guidelines to promote the transition to carbon-neutral projects. The Ministry will also closely communicate with residents of dam surrounding areas to share the necessity of carbon-neutral transition and strengthen collaboration with local governments to expand carbon-neutral projects. To reflect residents' opinions and promote excellent projects in carbon-neutral support projects, plans to introduce a competitive support project system will be prepared, and measures to grant additional points to prioritize the implementation of carbon-neutral projects will be actively considered.

Kim Dong-jin, Director of Water Resources Policy at the Ministry of Environment, said, "Once the expansion plan for carbon-neutral dam surrounding area support projects is implemented, this support project will lead the transition to a carbon-neutral society that coexists with local residents," adding, "The Ministry of Environment and Korea Water Resources Corporation will strive to realize the 2050 carbon neutrality that the public can feel."

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