Incheon Holds TF Meeting for Creation of 'Songdo International Eco Center'... Strengthening Inter-Agency Collaboration

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced on the 21st that it held a task force (TF) meeting near District 11-2 of Songdo International City to discuss plans for creating a large-scale ecological space, share best practices from Korea and abroad, and explore ways to collaborate with related organizations.

The project, tentatively named the "Songdo International Eco Center," aims to create an eco-friendly space that combines ecological, environmental, tourism, and educational functions in the artificial wetland designated as a substitute bird habitat due to the Songdo reclamation.

Perspective view of the tentative Songdo International Eco Center. Provided by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority

In August last year, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority formed a TF with 15 organizations, including the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Secretariat and the Korea Polar Research Institute, to promote the project.

During the TF meeting, the EAAFP Secretariat introduced the cases of the London Wetland Centre and Hong Kong Wetland Park.

Hong Kong Wetland Park has garnered attention as a case where, during development near a Ramsar wetland, part of the project site was established as an artificial wetland and buffer zone, with proactive adoption of eco-friendly features such as natural lighting, solar power, and vertical greening. The London Wetland Centre is also cited as a prominent success story, where an existing artificial reservoir was restored to an ecological wetland, combining citizen participation with reinvestment of development profits.

The Korea Polar Research Institute proposed bird habitat management plans based on its experience operating the King Sejong Station in Antarctica and the Northeast Greenland National Park protected area. Key initiatives included establishing a real-time monitoring system using sensors and cameras, conducting ecological surveys in the project area and surrounding regions, and developing a long-term management system.

An official from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority stated, "The Songdo International Eco Center will become a new model for global sustainable cities where nature and urban life coexist in harmony."

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