Gwangjin-gu, Management of Street and Greenbelt Trees to Prevent Drought Damage

[Seoul District News] Gwangjin-gu Focuses on Intensive Watering Management and Uses Water Sprinkler Vehicles for Trees, Green Belts, Green Areas, and Rest Zones; Implements Water Bags and Fertilizer Installation, Calcium Chloride Cleaning, and Secures Emergency Water Facilities with Related Agencies

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is conducting intensive management of trees to prevent drought damage on streets and green belts in order to minimize the damage caused by the recent prolonged drought and create a healthy environment for tree growth.

According to announcements from the Korea Meteorological Administration and related ministries, the precipitation recorded over the past six months from November last year to May was 167.4 mm, which is 48.6% of the average. In particular, last month’s precipitation was 5.8 mm, only 6% of the average, indicating almost no rainfall.

To prevent urban trees from being damaged by such severe drought, the district has prepared various drought countermeasures including watering operations using water trucks, installation of water bags and slow-release fertilizer, calcium chloride washing, and securing emergency water supply facilities in cooperation with related organizations, and is actively managing the trees.

The targets include 6,100 street trees along 29 routes such as Cheonho-daero, approximately 10 km of strip green belts along 8 routes including Cheonho-daero, 74 green belt sites along Jungnangcheon Stream, 3 detention ponds, and 35 village squares and rest areas.

First, until the drought is resolved, the district has formed a watering task force, deploying dedicated watering vehicles and personnel, urgently mobilizing two of its own 2.5-ton water trucks and one additional rented 16-ton water truck to carry out focused watering operations on the trees.

For trees with health issues, water bags are installed to ensure continuous water supply, and solid slow-release fertilizer is inserted into the soil to provide nutrients for healthy recovery.

Additionally, trees that suffered root damage due to excessive use of calcium chloride to melt snow during winter undergo soil washing using detergents to remove calcium chloride, and nutrients are applied to the soil to support healthy growth.

Furthermore, the district is establishing close cooperation with related institutions such as schools and water reservoirs to allow the use of their water supply facilities for smooth watering operations.

A Gwangjin-gu official stated, “The importance of green spaces such as forests and trees is increasing amid worsening climate change,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to provide a healthy street and green environment through thorough management.”

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