Citizens participating in the canoeing event at Celebration for Completion of the SeungChon Weir
The field manager of the Isar Plan, Dr. Klaus Arzet
The Isar River which runs through Munich, Germany is considered as ‘an emblem of river restoration’ to anti-four rivers restoration project activists.
Since 2000, Munich has removed concrete dykes covering the Isar River and restored its natural appearance of winding streams. The anti-activists are using the Isar River case as a tool to criticize the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project insisting, “Germany has brought back the rivers to more eco-friendly state, while Korea has been artificially excavating the rivers.”
Dr. Klaus Arzet, the person who was in charge of the Isar River Restoration Project (the Isar Plan) fields work, was assigned as the Munich Water Resources Administer in 2003 and has been in the seat commanding of the Isar Plan until today.
He has visited Korea in the beginning of last October and toured around construction sites of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project with Hyo Seop Woo, the president of Korea Water Resources Association. He said, “I believe that the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project needed to happen and it is just like the Isar Plan for its one of main purposes is to restore rivers.” The following is a series of questions and answers from the interview with Dr. Arzet. (President Woo provided examples and background details in between to help supplementing for the technical terms and materials that required of an additional explanation.)
Tell us about the Isar Plan.
“At the end of the 19th century, the Isar River in Germany had been regulated and straightened into a canal-type for the better and more efficient use of the river resources. However, the artificially fortified embankments have narrowed down width of the river and have increased the risk for floods. The Isar Plan has broadened the riverbeds regulating the flow velocity, and lowered the water level. In addition, its shape has been modified to be more natural with the outer curves.”
In Korea, the Isar River is considered as an example of nature restoration.
“To be precise, its concept is not to forcefully restore nature but to reinstate it. And the main purpose of the Isar Plan was ensuring flood protection. Then, the next was creating a nature-oriented recreational riverside area for the residents and reinstating the nature.”
Were there any difficulties in the construction process?
“Just as in Korea, there were objections from the environmentalists and a few activists. The conflict of opinions on the restoration method had existed for a long time. But today, it is being assessed as a river with friendly green spaces for the urban residents.”
If you are to compare the Isar Plan and the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project,
“The Isar Plan is a regional project to restore 8km section of the river. Its size is much smaller than the nation-wide Four Major Rivers Restoration Project. The width of the Isar River is only several tens of meters, while that of the rivers in Korea could be sometimes longer than 1km. The precipitation rate near the Isar River is very constant year-round, but there are torrential peaks of the precipitation rate during the summer in Korea. The surrounding characteristics in geography, climate, and precipitation rate are very much different for those two projects so it is not easy to compare them.”
Could you tell us how you feel after visiting the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project sites?
“It feels different to witness it with my own eyes from to hear of it indirectly in Germany. I was also impressed to know it had made fish ways. It seems to have been concentrated in flood control as well as eco-friendly restoration of nature. Urban residential facilities such as bike paths are nicely constructed. The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project shares a lot of similarities with the Isar Plan in this respect. The common goal is to restore rivers.”
How would you evaluate the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project?
“I deeply agree with the necessity of the project in respect to flood prevention, water resources management, leisure space creation, regional economy activation, and etc. I would like to study it further to investigate the unseen effects that are about to appear in the future.”
In Korea, cases of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project being criticized by Germans have been introduced to public quite often. Hans Bernhart criticized it as “wide destruction of nature.” A Korean doctor living in Germany insisted that “there are no artificial weirs in the Isar River as of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project,” quoting the words of Stephen Kirner who participated in the Isar Plan.
“It is not appropriate for me to evaluate (their statements). But I know Stephen Kirner very well since he has worked as a project manager in the project. However, we do have weirs in the Isar River sharing the similarities in function with the ones of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project in Korea. I believe there has been some misunderstanding or miscommunication between them two. Currently, we are reviewing the needs of additional installation of the weirs and trying to find the point of agreement with environmental groups. Professor Bernhart has been adhering to the negative opinions on the development of rivers for a very long time.”
What needs to be considered in the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project?
“The outcome of a project is not going to be maintained by itself. After-work systemic maintenance must be prepared to keep the rivers in the perfect condition. It will harmonize the river and the society and further benefit human beings.”
Dr. Arzet and Hyoseop Woo, the chairman of Korea Water Resources Association are observing water quality of the downstream and the surroundings of the Seungchon Weir.
