Water Supply Facilities to Be Expanded in Drought-Prone Areas Including Yeongdong, Gangwon Province

Development of Water Sources, Including Wells and Pumping Facilities, at 78 Locations Nationwide
8 Billion Won Allocated for the Project

The government has decided to proactively develop agricultural water sources in preparation for droughts during the farming season.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on March 17 that it will provide 8 billion won (including 10 billion won in local government funds) to support the development of water sources—such as wells and pumping facilities—at 78 drought-prone locations, including the Yeongdong region of Gangwon Province, which suffered from severe drought last summer.

As of March 16, the nationwide average water storage rate of agricultural reservoirs stands at 81.3%, slightly higher than the normal level of 77.9%. However, the cumulative average precipitation nationwide so far this year is only 52.0mm, which is 57.3% of the normal 90.8mm. If precipitation remains low ahead of the farming season starting in March, the growth of field crops—which are highly dependent on rainfall—could be adversely affected.

In response, the Ministry has decided to conduct surveys and analyses on agricultural water supply facilities by region and will focus on areas with insufficient supply capacity. Specifically, new installations will be carried out in 78 regions across 11 provinces and 39 cities and counties nationwide, including 78 wells, 6 pumping stations, 5 intake weirs, 3 retention ponds, and 7 water tanks. In addition, dredging works will be undertaken at 7 reservoirs.

Through this support, stable agricultural water supply will be secured for a total of 1,011 hectares (equivalent to 1,416 soccer fields) of farmland nationwide, including 419 hectares of rice paddies and 592 hectares of fields, with a particular focus on the Yeongdong area of Gangwon Province, which experienced severe drought last summer.

The Ministry will continuously monitor precipitation and reservoir storage conditions. In areas where water shortages are expected during the farming season, it plans to preemptively implement measures such as pumping and storing river water and directly supplying water to irrigation channels using available equipment.

Lee Jaecheon, Director of Agricultural Infrastructure at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "As the frequency and intensity of droughts are increasing due to climate change, it is important to take preemptive action," and added, "We will do our utmost to ensure there are no disruptions in the supply of agricultural water."

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