Necessity of 'Deep Underground Stormwater Drainage Facilities' Discussed... Seoul City Holds Public Debate on Flood Prevention for Citizens

On the 14th, Public On- and Offline Debate on "Challenges for Future Flood Prevention in Seoul"
Discussion with Experts on Setting Regional Customized Disaster Prevention Performance Goals and Pros and Cons of Deep Stormwater Drainage Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 14th that it will hold an online and offline 'Citizen Grand Debate on Flood Prevention.' The event aims to build public consensus on the deep underground stormwater drainage facilities and disaster prevention performance targets through public discussion, and to explore flood prevention measures to minimize flood damage in Seoul.

Previously, Seoul held an 'Emergency Forum on Flood Prevention' to discuss policy directions for deep underground stormwater drainage facilities with experts, and subsequently announced the 'Implementation Plan for Deep Underground Stormwater Drainage Facilities.' Through this debate, the city plans to have in-depth discussions with citizens on the future direction of the deep underground stormwater drainage facilities and the enhancement of disaster prevention performance targets, reflecting the outcomes in the project implementation process.

The Citizen Grand Debate on Flood Prevention consists of ?Opening remarks by Han Je-hyun, Seoul Deputy Mayor for Administration, and Song Do-ho, Chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Urban Safety and Construction Committee ?Theme presentations by experts ?Designated discussions by six appointed discussants ?Q&A session with citizens.

The theme presentations will be given by Professor Kwon Hyun-han of Sejong University on "Resetting Disaster Prevention Performance Targets in Response to Climate Change," and Research Fellow Yoon Seon-kwon of the Seoul Institute of Technology on "Expectations and Limitations of Seoul’s Deep Underground Stormwater Drainage Facilities for Flood Prevention." The designated discussions will cover five subtopics: ▲Is climate change affecting precipitation? ▲Is Seoul’s disaster prevention performance target adequate as it is? ▲Are deep underground stormwater drainage facilities the only solution? ▲What is the current status of Seoul’s deep underground stormwater drainage facilities and flood control measures? ▲If only deep underground stormwater drainage facilities are constructed, will Seoul be free from flood damage? Finally, Kim Yong-ho, Vice Chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Urban Safety and Construction Committee, will provide policy recommendations. The moderator will be Professor Moon Young-il of the University of Seoul.

Following this, citizens participating online and offline will have the opportunity to ask questions about the designated discussions, with presenters and discussants responding. Online participants can leave their opinions via real-time chat. Citizens wishing to attend the debate in person must apply by email by the 13th. A total of 50 participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Han Je-hyun, Seoul Deputy Mayor for Administration, stated, “In the era of climate crisis, deep underground stormwater drainage facilities are gaining attention as a solution to cope with unpredictable heavy rainfall. Through this debate, we aim to build public consensus on the necessity of these facilities and jointly explore flood prevention measures for Seoul.” He added, “We ask for the active interest and participation of citizens and experts from all fields.”

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