January 26, 2012

Confident that It Has Achieved the Predicted Performance

Hyung Pyo Hong, Project Administrator of the Office of National River Restoration

How is the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project different from the previous river maintenance and water resources development?

Until this project, water resources management was handled separately of the flood protection and irrigation not to mention the quality control. But the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is different from the previous management that the plans were established in conjunction with all of the dimensions related to water from flood protection, irrigation, and environment to quality control.

In the initial implementation of the project, there must have been difficulties such as with liquidated damage.

First of all, the vinyl houses scattered around riverside and the illicit farm land had to be removed. It had to be done one way or another to cut pollution sipping into the rivers but it was a difficult task for the compensation issues were combined with migration dilemma. The central government promoting this movement facilitated the realization of the plan. 33 thousands of vinyl houses were removed near the four rivers to create waterfront parks in the size of 13,884m2.


To how much extent is the anticipated economic effect including creation of new jobs and employment?

According to the master plan originally proposed for economic investment, it has been mentioned that 340 thousand new employments will be created. It is difficult to compute the exact figure of employed workers because the indirect employment effects also have to be under account. According to the recent survey results by the Ministry of Employment and Labor the number of new employments created is less than what has been initially proposed, or 340,000 new employments, however, it was identified to have achieved 86% so far. In the course of implementing the project, I would like to emphasize that it has given the big impact to be off economic crisis. The economic effect that will be generated through the active use of waterfront areas and culture and tourism industry is expected to be bigger.


Do you believe that the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is being completed to fit the original purpose?

Flood protection and irrigation, environment, and water quality levels planned during the establishment and implementation of master plan are achieving the results anticipated. In fact, it is a huge project and therefore the relating effects will continue to be revealed. Since there will be many changes in the future dependent on maintenance and facilities development, it is important to relate development and application. It had faced many difficulties from the beginning, but it has been evaluated to attain predicted performance and expected results.


If there are areas that need to be supplemented, what would they be?

At this point, River Act is being moored at the Parliament.

Previously maintenance was not an option but this amended law will establish a new framework for the river maintenance.

In conjunction with next year’s budget, it is expected to be passed and enforcement decree will be prepared by March. It will be a big turning point in the river management that has been insufficient despite of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project,


To me, the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is
I think it is ‘Fortune.’ As a public official I feel proud of the fact that I was a part of such huge project for the long-awaited water resource development. I believe it was a good opportunity because investment in rivers had not been made in the past.