National Institute of Forest Science to Establish Forest Flow Monitoring Network at 400 Locations Nationwide for Mountain Disaster Response

The National Institute of Forest Science announced on September 5, 2025, that it will establish a forest flow monitoring network at 400 locations nationwide by 2031.

The forest flow monitoring network is a system that measures the amount of water flowing in mountainous areas such as valleys in real time. It functions to analyze and predict the occurrence characteristics of water-related mountain disasters, including floods, droughts, and landslides.

Workers are installing forest flow monitoring facilities in a valley within the production area. Provided by the National Institute of Forest Science

The institute aims to achieve precise, customized flow monitoring in Korea through the establishment of this network, thereby enhancing both the accuracy and efficiency of responses to mountain disasters.

Separately, the Urban Forest Research Center of the institute recently developed a formula to estimate flood arrival time tailored to domestic forest watersheds, improving the accuracy of mountain flood predictions.

Flood arrival time refers to the duration between the moment of peak rainfall and the moment when the water level reaches its highest point. In general, a shorter flood arrival time indicates greater vulnerability to disasters.

Securing real-time flow changes in mountainous areas plays a crucial role in interpreting the risk of mountain disasters in local regions.

Park Chanyeol, head of the Urban Forest Research Center, said, "Once the forest flow monitoring network is established nationwide, we expect to be able to observe mountain disasters with greater precision."

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