Reducing Trash in the Han River Estuary... A Total of 42.5 Billion KRW to Be Invested Over Five Years Starting Next Year

Ministry of Environment to Sign the '5th Agreement on Sharing Costs for Waste Disposal in Front of Incheon' with Three Metropolitan Cities in the Capital Area on the 15th

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Environment announced on the 6th that it will sign the '5th Agreement on Sharing Costs for Waste Disposal in Front of Incheon' in writing on the 15th with the three metropolitan cities of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do, and spend 42.5 billion KRW over five years from 2022 to process waste flowing into the Han River Estuary.

The Ministry of Environment and the three metropolitan cities in the capital area have been signing agreements every five years since 2007 to share costs and have been conducting projects to timely collect and dispose of waste flowing into the Han River Estuary and the sea due to monsoons and typhoons each year.

This 5th agreement stipulates the cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and local governments from 2022 to 2026. Considering the possibility of an increase in the amount of waste collected in the Han River Estuary, the total budget for collection and disposal was increased by 1.5 billion KRW compared to the 4th agreement (41 billion KRW).

The Ministry of Environment and the three metropolitan cities plan to allocate 8.5 billion KRW annually, investing a total of 42.5 billion KRW over five years starting next year. Of the annual project cost of 8.5 billion KRW, excluding the Ministry of Environment’s budget of 2.7 billion KRW, the remaining amount will be shared by Seoul City (22.8%), Incheon City (50.2%), and Gyeonggi-do (27%). Additionally, if necessary, joint research will be conducted on cost-sharing methods for waste collection or disposal projects, and the results will be reflected in the 6th agreement.

Through this 5th agreement, the Ministry of Environment and the three metropolitan cities will carry out various activities such as operating concentrated waste cleanup weeks, and in the process, encourage local residents’ participation to contribute to creating local jobs.

Park Jae-hyun, Director of Water Environment Policy at the Ministry of Environment, said, "This agreement is an exemplary case of cooperation between the central government and upstream and downstream local governments to prevent water pollution and restore the health of aquatic ecosystems," adding, "The Ministry of Environment will promote various policies together with the three metropolitan cities to create a safe Han River Estuary free from floating waste damage."

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