Seoul City Raises 'Disaster Prevention Performance Targets'... 110mm in Gangnam Station Area

Flood-prone Gangnam Station area raised to 110mm
Other areas increased to 100mm

[Asia Economy Reporter Seong Giho] On the 30th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will drastically raise the 'disaster prevention performance targets' across Seoul to strengthen its response capabilities against localized heavy rainfall increasing due to climate change. The target for vulnerable areas such as Gangnam Station has been raised from the existing maximum of 95mm per hour to 110mm per hour, while other areas have been increased to a maximum of 100mm per hour.

The upgrade takes effect immediately upon announcement, and all disaster prevention facilities throughout Seoul must meet the disaster prevention performance targets for their respective areas going forward.

The disaster prevention facilities subject to these performance targets include sewage pipelines, rainwater pumping stations, stormwater runoff reduction facilities, and drainage channels installed or planned to be installed in urban areas (residential, commercial, industrial, and green areas). These targets must also be reflected when establishing plans for urban infrastructure such as housing development, redevelopment, and reconstruction.

Seoul has designated five drainage basins in the Gangnam Station area?Seocho 3, Seocho 4, Seocho 5, Nonhyeon, and Yeoksam?as priority management zones. Disaster prevention facilities in these areas will be reinforced to handle rainfall amounts of up to 110mm in 1 hour, 163mm in 2 hours, and 212mm in 3 hours.

This 'upgrade of disaster prevention performance targets' is being promoted as part of Seoul's comprehensive flood control strategy for the next 10 years, titled 'The More Detailed Flood Safety Network Promotion Strategy,' which was initiated in response to the climate crisis that became a reality last October.

Through this upgrade, Seoul expects that disaster prevention facilities capable of handling larger volumes of rainfall will be densely installed throughout the city, thereby significantly enhancing Seoul's flood response capabilities and minimizing casualties and property damage among citizens.

Han Yuseok, Director of the Water Circulation Safety Bureau of Seoul, stated, “To respond to the climate crisis that has become a reality, we have swiftly implemented the 'upgrade of disaster prevention performance targets' to strengthen the design standards of disaster prevention facilities. We will continue to reinforce disaster prevention facilities according to the upgraded performance targets to ensure that no citizens suffer damage from floods.”

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