Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, "Urgent Measures Needed for Tributaries and Streams... Dredging and River Maintenance to be Promoted"

Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, announced on the 3rd, "We will push for a major overhaul of flood control measures, including dredging and maintenance of tributaries and streams, to prevent flood damage."

On the same day, Minister Han held an 'Expert Meeting on Strengthening River Management' at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "Since the Four Major Rivers Project, the main rivers have been well maintained, but urgent measures are needed for tributaries and streams vulnerable to flooding."

He added, "After visiting Naeseongcheon and Hyeongsangang Rivers, I personally felt the urgent need for river environment maintenance such as dredging," and continued, "While promptly carrying out river maintenance like dredging, measures to strengthen the stability of embankments will also be necessary."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The meeting was attended by about 10 experts from national research institutes such as the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, academia, and the engineering industry. The discussion focused on river maintenance measures such as sediment dredging and embankment construction for tributaries and streams vulnerable to floods, in preparation for extreme heavy rainfall caused by climate change.

The Ministry of Environment plans to form a pool of private experts by region related to tributary and stream maintenance to maximize the use of private expertise and know-how in the establishment and implementation of maintenance plans.

They also continued discussions on plans to upgrade local rivers managed by local governments to national rivers, government support for sections affected by national river drainage levels, and strengthening design standards in response to climate change.

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