Korea Forest Service "Faster Landslide Forecasting... Strengthening Management of Risk Areas"

The Korea Forest Service will advance the timing of landslide forecasts this year from 24 hours to 48 hours in advance and focus on minimizing landslide damage by strengthening pre-management of high-risk areas.

On the 12th, the Korea Forest Service announced the "2023 National Landslide Prevention Measures" with these details.

A panoramic view of the Sabang Dam installed in Hamyang, Gyeongnam. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

The prevention measures will be implemented based on four major strategies: establishing scientific landslide preparedness and response, strengthening inspection and management of high-risk areas such as landslide-prone zones, investigating and restoring landslide damage using information and communication technology (ICT), and revising laws and systems to prepare for climate change.

In particular, this year the Korea Forest Service will secure sufficient evacuation time during landslide risk situations by advancing the provision of landslide prediction information from the previous 24 hours to 48 hours in advance. Additionally, it will strengthen risk area management by linking about 48,000 slope information records managed by other ministries, such as steep slopes and road embankments, to the landslide information system.

Furthermore, for continuous management of landslide risk areas, landslide damage information will be produced as electronic maps, and a specialized "Forest Disaster Prevention Act" will be enacted to integrate the management of forest fires, landslides, and forest pests.

Separately, safety and disaster text messages related to landslides will be standardized so that local governments nationwide can send unified messages.

Nam Seong-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, stated, "The Korea Forest Service will create healthy forests resistant to landslides through forest cultivation, and will do its utmost to minimize damage caused by landslides by establishing thorough prevention and rapid response and recovery systems."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Korea Forest Service will hold the "2023 National Landslide Prevention Officials Meeting" with 17 metropolitan and provincial local governments, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and other related agencies.

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