500mm Rainfall in Cheongyang, Chungnam, Enough Water for Citizens Nationwide for 10 Years

Researcher Hwang Seok-hwan from KRICT SBS Interview
Is the Next Concerned Area a Reservoir? Warning of Danger

Hwang Seok-hwan, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, stated in an interview with 'SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the 21st, "Cheongyang has only about 30,000 residents. But if you spread that 500mm of rainfall over that area, assuming citizens nationwide drink that water, it would be equivalent to having two days' worth of water for ten years."

He used the example of Cheongyang, Chungnam, to illustrate the level of recent heavy rainfall. Although the term "once in a 1000 years downpour" is being used, experts point out that this is just the beginning. The rain that fell this time is not just a rare event that might occur once every 1000 years, but rather an unprecedented climate backlash that will continue going forward.

Research fellow Hwang explained, "This is a pattern that did not exist in the past. But it keeps happening. It was like this last year, in 2020, and this year as well. So it is quite possible that it will happen next year too."

In the early morning of the 15th, heavy rain poured down in the Chungcheong region, causing the river embankment in Hakam-ri, Jeongsan-myeon, Cheongyang-gun, Chungnam to collapse. County officials are on site inspecting the damage.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He emphasized the need for more fundamental measures rather than the current pattern of preparing countermeasures only for specific spaces such as underground passages, underground parking lots, and semi-basement houses in case of accidents. Research fellow Hwang focused on the risks of reservoirs.

Hwang said, "Reservoirs are not very large facilities like dams we talk about, so they are not made of concrete or materials that are very impermeable. They are just piled up like embankments," and added, "they are difficult to manage because there are too many of them. Therefore, although accidents have not occurred yet, these areas require focused attention and monitoring."

Research fellow Hwang said, "It would be good to build drainage facilities well first. Reservoirs are more about using water during the farming season rather than preventing floods, so it is difficult to strengthen flood control functions in that regard," he said.

Hwang also stated, "People ultimately cause global warming by emitting carbon dioxide, whether from cars, home heating, burning coal, or oil. These are atmospheric elements that cause global warming. Humans create these, and in the end, the damage comes back to humans."

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