Last 10 years, KRW 10.9 Trillion are defrayed for flood damage recoveries
The Nakdong River is 525km long, longer than the Han River's 514km, it rises from the Hwangji Pond, Taebaek, Gangwon Province to flow into Busan. It is the second longest river after the Amnok River (the Yalu in Chinese and Manchurian). The river basin is total 23,860 km2 in area, it holds 4 metropolitan jurisdictions and 13 millions of population out of 32 local municipalities.
The section of the river of Gyeongbuk Province is 282km with holding 60%, it continues to flow onto Bonghwa, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, Andong, Yecheon, Sangju, Uiseong, Gumi, Chilgok, and Daegu. It can be told that the Nakdong River and the Great Baekdu Mountain Range are both the main arteries of industrial development of Korea as well as the pride of Gyeongbuk Province. However, the water quality of the Nakdong River has declined into chronic deterioration since 2003. According to the field research on each aquatic systems of the river by the Ministry of Environment in 2004 and 2009, BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) has risen to result to gradual decline in the water quality on 28 spots out of 41 water systems of the Nakdong River.
The declination of water flux is largely responsible for the deterioration of water quality. The Nakdong River is comparatively longer than others and mid-upper stream area suffers chronic shortage in water quantity. In addition, domestic sewage and industrial waste water exacerbated the present water pollution. According to the data surveyed by Gyeongbuk Province, out of wastewater 2.2 million tons per day in the Nakdong River, domestic wastewater holds 80% with 175 tons per day while industrial one for 20% with 45 tons.
The 83% of domestic sewage shows tendency of the concentration on upper area; the 80% of local factories spotted surrounding Daegu area and the upper region of the Nakdong River. Reportedly frequent were the contamination accidents caused by pollutants out of the agricultural industrial complex. The classic example was 'Phenol Spill Incident' by Doosan Electronics Company in Gumi Industrial Complex on March 1991. It was almost 30 tons of toxic phenol accidentally spilled into the river. After that, several contamination accidents of sulfuric acid (1991), chemical stench (1994), waste oil spill (1994) and dioxin contamination (2009) were shamefully reported one after another.
Ordinarily, the Nakdong stays run dry to reveal the river beds which were raised higher than adjacent farmlands because of the accumulated sediments. Therefore, just a little rainfall can easily cause inundation and flood damages. The amounts of flood damages are tremendous. During the last 10 years from 1997 to 2006, as many as 135 people were dead from floods in the four metropolitan areas of Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk Province, Daegu and Busan. Property damage was estimated in KRW 6.8 Trillion with compensating the damage recovery of KRW 10.9 Trillion. Among them, defraying amount for damage recovery only used in the sector in Gyeongbuk Province was as much as KRW 4.6 Trillion.
Nevertheless, the vicious circle still runs on annual flood disaster. It resulted from biased ex post facto recoveries rather than prevention and prudent precaution. In addition, the authorities misleadingly approached to the problem of flood, drought, water quality deterioration in separate issues while they are closely associated one another indeed.
The biggest beneficiary of the project is Gyeongsangbuk-province
The Gyeongbuk Province started 'the Enhancement Work on riverside bank of the Nakdong River' as a top priority in 2006 of the 4th local government inauguration elected by popular vote. The restoration project on the Nakdong is the project which expands the previous enhancement work and propose brand new paradigm in water control system. Here is the reason that Gyeongbuk Province shows even an indomitable will for implementation on the project for the local residents. KIM Gwan-Yong, the governor of Gyeongbuk Prov., had explicitly asserted his will for successful project in interview with YTN on August 3rd, "The Restoration Project on the Nakdong River is a historic task which we must fulfill at any cost, beyond the dispute of pros and cons."
The project allocated on the Nakdong River has the biggest portion in construction range and budget among the whole project, and its direct beneficiary is Gyeongbuk Province. Among KRW 15.4 Trillion budget for the Four Rivers Restoration Project, KRW 9.7 Trillion for the Nakdong and KRW 5.4 Trillion for Gyeongbuk Province with corresponding to the 32% of total budget for the Four Rivers Restoration Project and the 56% of sector for the Nakdong River.
The work on the mainstream of the Nakdong is scheduled to dredge river bed with 40 billion tons of soils and to reinforce timeworn river banks of 335 km range in flood prevention. We dredge the soil to go more smoothly and install the weirs to secure decently abundant water requirement. The Nakdong River Project is designed to make it endurable more than 200 years in any flood, after the completion, water quality also will be anticipated to be enhanced up to 2nd grade level from present 3 ~ 4th grades.
In the Daegu-Gyeongbuk section of the Nakdong River enhancement project, eight weirs and three dams (Yeognju Dam, Bohyeonsan Dam and transition waterway for Andong-Imha Dam) are to be constructed. Thanks to the construction of weirs, dams and raising work for agricultural reservoirs, amount of water requirement through the Four Rivers Restoration Project would come to gain 10 billion m3. By dredging, dams construction and reinforcement for decrepit embankments, it is anticipated that flood control ability will increase to 60 billion m3.
According to the Busan Office, the Bureau of National Land Management, the Nakdong River water systems shows 44% of completion (as of early July 2010), and almost earthworks are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Provided that this speed would be kept, at the second half of next year, it will be available that public usage of riparian facilities like bike paths along the embankment of the Nakdong or recreation facilities for the locals.
Written by LEE Seung-Heon, senior researcher & deputy director, a doctor of agriculture, soil environment technologist / Korea Rural Community Corporation
