The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is a project of 'opportunity creation'
2010 World River Culture, Hwacheon Forum (which is reportedly the first forum with subject of water) was held in Hotel Lotte in Seoul and Aquatic Resort in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province. In this international conference, many governmental representatives and scholars from diverse local government of their each nation which is concerned with water problem or riparian ecosystem improvement. Korea, USA, Egypt, Peru, Thailand, China and more countries sent their representatives.
The forum opened in August 1st at Hotel Lotte in Seoul was progressed as academic forum which municipality representatives from various countries but mutually from riparian administarive ones. President Marvell Howard of the Octavia County Board of Supervisors in Mississipi (USA), Mayer Salomon A. Diaz of Maynas (Peru), and a Head of Nanjing Communist Party from Nanjing (China) and Medhessed Ajid, Head of the Nile Water Resource Corporation (Egypt). Nine representatives from 5 countries and nine scholars from 6 countries attended.
Many attendees there showed deep interests on the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project. Professor Richard Tortwiller (The American University in Cairo, Egypt) announced, "The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is comprehensive project that retains the diverse objectives and balance of goals." He defined and arranged the significance of the project in three. "Korea has two extremely opposite climate environment, which is, 'too much water' and 'not enough water'". So the project has meaningful approach in the viewpoint that Korean government build infrastructure which can manage and control. The second, from the viewpoint to manage sustainability of watershed, efficient management for land, this project is worthy of close attention. Third, considerting that creation of opporunities for the local residents, the project is helpful, he asserted. Professor Richard continued, "For successful completion of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, government should take care for provide opportunity to promote local tourism industry. And riverside camping sites, tradition folk village, residential area that can experience of living in history." Finally, he underlined, "Condtruction dams or weirs must be in operation in environment friendly way."
Professor SUN Hua, Peking University said "Many Asian countries including Korea and China have cherished water since agricultural culture. Water is source of vitality, root of all creation. So, we must regard water in viewpoint of biodiversity for appropriate management". "The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project gives us environment-friendly basis and recovers ecosystems as well as it establish welfare and stability." He represented deep interest in the project.
In this day's forum, common statement was adapted with contents of various cooperations from art to environment about riparian culture.
