Pohang City Launches Long-Awaited Hangsa Dam Project to Prevent Natural Disasters from Climate Change

Exemption from Ministry of Economy and Finance Preliminary Feasibility Study and Project Appropriateness Review, Securing National Funding

Reservoir Capacity 4.76 Million Tons, Construction Start in 2025, Completion Planned for 2029

Aerial view of Hangsa Dam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City plans to actively promote the construction of Hangsadam Dam, a long-awaited project aimed at preventing natural disasters and protecting residents' safety amid increasing heavy rainfall due to climate change.

The Hangsadam Dam construction, a key project prioritized by the city, gained momentum after receiving an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study and project appropriateness review at the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 2022 '7th Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee.' Additionally, the project secured 1.98 billion KRW (for feasibility study costs) through increased national budget allocation by the National Assembly for 2023.

Hangsadam Dam is a small-scale dam located in the Hangsari area (Daegol) of Ocheon-eup, Nam-gu, Pohang City, with a height of 50 meters, a length of 140 meters, and a storage capacity of 4.76 million tons. Starting January 2023, feasibility studies will be conducted to reflect the project in the river basin water resource management plan, carry out strategic environmental impact assessments, and establish and announce the basic plan. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2029.

Geographically, Pohang experiences concentrated heavy rainfall during the summer, with Ocheon-eup's Singwangcheon and Naengcheon streams being particularly vulnerable to flooding.

Naengcheon, a local stream approximately 19 km long, passes through a large urban area. Its downstream area includes a steel industrial complex and densely populated residential zones. It flows directly into the East Sea, making the terrain highly susceptible to widespread flooding when heavy rain coincides with high tide.

Singwangcheon also faces issues due to its short length and steep upper reaches, causing a large volume of water to flow into the stream in a short time.

Although there is an agricultural reservoir called ‘Oeoji’ upstream of Naengcheon, it lacks water level control facilities, making it unable to cope with heavy rainfall. Furthermore, due to restrictions from roads and houses around Naengcheon, flood prevention by widening or raising embankments is difficult.

Accordingly, it has been urgent to enhance flood response capabilities and install flood defense facilities in the Ocheon-eup area (Naengcheon and Singwangcheon basins), where flood damage occurs during heavy rainfall.

Since 2016, Pohang City has made persistent efforts to promote the construction of Hangsadam Dam.

As part of the ‘Dam Hope Site Application System,’ the city applied for the construction of Hangsadam Dam. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was initially in charge, but after the Pohang earthquake in November 2017 and the 2018 national water management unification policy, the responsibility was transferred to the Ministry of Environment, delaying the small-scale dam construction project.

In response, since 2019, the city has repeatedly visited central government agencies to explain the necessity of the project. In September, during a site visit by the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Economy and Finance following Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor,’ the city urged the acceleration of the project. In October, the city revised and resubmitted the project plan to the Ministry of Environment, changing the purpose from flood control and irrigation to flood control (flood regulation) only.

Location map of Hangsa Dam.

Thanks to the efforts of local lawmakers, an additional 1.98 billion KRW in national funding (for feasibility study costs) for Hangsadam Dam construction, which was not initially included in the 2023 budget, was secured, giving strong support to the full-scale promotion of the project.

On September 6, Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor’ brought up to 101 mm of heavy rain per hour to the Ocheon-eup area, resulting in a cumulative rainfall of 509.5 mm. This caused Naengcheon to overflow, leaving irreparable damage across the Ocheon-eup region.

Going forward, global warming will intensify abnormal weather, and unpredictable guerrilla-style heavy rains and increasingly powerful typhoons will necessitate preventive measures against the loss of water resources and damage to lives and property.

To this end, customized flood control measures and retention facilities considering local and social geography must be established.

A Pohang City official stated, “To protect the precious lives and property of citizens from increasingly severe typhoons and abnormal weather, river maintenance alone is insufficient. Flood control measures through dam construction with flood regulation functions are essential. We will continue efforts to make Pohang safe from disasters and calamities.”

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