Four Major Rivers Project

The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is the multi-purpose green growth project on the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River and Yeongsan River in South Korea. The project was spearheaded by former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak and was declared complete on October 21, 2011. It was first announced as part of the “Green New Deal” policy launched in January 2009, and was later included in the government's five-year national plan in July 2009. The government estimated its full investment and funding totaled 22.2 trillion won (Approximately 17.3 billion USD).

The overall project was broken into three project sets: revitalizing the four rivers, projects on their 14 tributaries and refurbishment for other smaller-sized streams. The project had five key objectives as well: securing abundant water resources to combat water scarcity; implementing comprehensive flood control measures; improving water quality and restoring river ecosystems, creating multipurpose spaces for local residents; and regional development centered on the rivers.

More than 929 km of streams in Korea will be restored as part of the project, with a follow-up operation planned to restore more than 10,000 km of local streams. More than 35 riparian wetlands will also be reconstructed.

The project was declared complete by President Lee on October 21, 2011. The project was a major recurring story in the media and with the public. It often drew ire and protests over the toll that construction projects could take on the environment, as well as being seen as an extension of Lee's persona as former CEO of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd, nicknamed "The Bulldozer," with his push for swift approval of the project in the National Assembly.

Background

The Four Rivers Restoration Project of Korea was designed to be a packaged project that aims to resolve water-related problems such as floods and droughts and revitalize Korean public spaces near the water. Its projects were carried out simultaneously with heavy investment from multiple government ministries over a 2-year period.

The Korean government estimated about 800 million m3 of water was needed to prevent water scarcity in 2011, and expected the need to grow to one billion m3 in 2016. It was also disclosed that while government recovery expenses due to flooding topped 4.2 trillion won over a decade, average annual investment in flood prevention was only 1.1 trillion won. The government also stated its objective to improve the rivers' water quality, by managing pollutants such as the increase of Chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus counts that can result in the waterways' eutrophication.

The government also outlined that existing spaces and programs along the rivers for watersports and cultural activities could not keep up with rising demand, a product of Koreans' rising income levels.

The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is to contribute to recovering the real economy from the recession through job creation and local economic revitalization.

Policy Direction

The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project has the following policy directions

Proactive response against climate change

Diversification of ways to secure water resources

Paradigm shift in river management policies

Utilization of river areas as multipurpose spaces for the co-existence of the people and environment

Main Aspects

Implementation of five core challenges to achieve the goal of renewing the territory

Project time and cost

Twelve cities and provinces submitted 836 recommendations worth 98.3 trillion KRW

Expected Benefits

An opportunity for Korea to position itself as a powerhouse in water resources in the international community

Fundamental resolution of floods and water scarcity

    1. Increased water storage thanks to dredging sediment and building reservoirs will equip us against droughts.
    2. Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs can be able to secure river maintenance water and strengthen flood control capacity even during droughts by building small sized multipurpose dams and expanding existing agricultural reservoirs.
    1. Flood damage and recovery expenses will decrease by dredging sediment.
    2. The down-streams will be protected by retention and riverside reservoirs.
    3. The reinforcement of old levees will raise the safety in flood control

Contribution to sound restoration of the ecosystem

Increased quality of cultural and leisurely activities, and lives

Local economies revitalized through the Green New Deal

Promotion of green growth projects

    1. The development of remote sensors will enable real-time monitoring of water pollution, water level, vulnerable areas upon disasters, and facilities such as bridges and dams.
    1. Digital tours on the culture and historic sites of the four major rivers will be promoted. To this end, the government will support technological development, commercialization, and international standardization of wireless communication, and positioning system.
    1. Scientific management of resources and environment of the underwater which is difficult to access will become possible by using robots.
    1. Photovoltaic power generation facilities will be built in riversides that are not submerged.
    2. The government will construct small hydropower plants when expanding existing reservoirs and agricultural reservoirs.

Bicycles

Companies from the People's Republic of China could benefit a potential sales hike of Made in China bicycles in South Korea, in which 85% of bicycles in South Korea are imported.[1] Other countries can also benefit from this river project as there will be more imports of bicycle parts for bicycle production facilities around South Korea.[2]

Criticism of the project

The Four Major Rivers Project has attracted significant criticism from environmental groups in South Korea and wider international groups such as Friends of the Earth. The criticism has also been seized upon by others who are more generally opposed to the South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak's, administration. The criticism centers on:

The World Wetland Network awards countries for their efforts in wetland management, with Blue Globe Awards to highlight good practices in wetland management and Grey Globe Awards to draw attention to poor practices in wetland management.[4] At their annual Conference of the Parties held on 7 July 2012, six Blue Globes and five Grey Globes were awarded; South Korea received one of the Grey Globes for the Four Major Rivers Project, particularly highlighting the project's implementation "... prior to proper environmental evaluation and the long term value of the wetlands destroyed".[4][5]

Diverting rivers and constructing stepped artificial lakes

The 2010 March issue of Science Magazine outlined that one of the major plans of the project was to construct 16 dams in the main streams of the four major rivers.[6] Opposing voices said these dams would turn the rivers into artificially stepped lakes, rather than the relatively free flowing rivers they are at present.[7]

Environmental Impact Assessment without a plan

Opposition also claims that on top of the transformation into stepped lakes, the 4 Rivers Project is also suspected to be a backdoor operation towards President Lee's goal of constructing the Grand Korean Waterway, a canal from Seoul to Busan, by the end of his term in 2012. Lee proposed the idea before undertaking the 4 Rivers Project, and it was unpopular in the Assembly and with the public.

Another factor was Lee's announcement that an environmental impact study had been completed in October 2009 saying there would be no harmful impact to the rivers' ecosystems, however the project had just entered its turn-key bid phase a month prior, suggesting the legally required study was conducted without having fully realized plans. An example was the administration's holding a preliminary conference for constructing an ecological park on the Geum River almost a year after the study was completed.[8]

Pollutions

Fraudulent goals

Other claims were that the areas of high risk of flood and drought damage are located mainly in Gangwon Province and other eastern highlands,[15] however most of the project's operations were conducted in other provinces (Gyunggi, Gyungsang, Junra and Choongchung) and lowlands.[16]

Also cited is the lack of reference to other benefits of storing the water, other than water security.[17]

There is a suspicion that only 1% of the jobs required to finish the project were new jobs created by the planners,[18] thus casting Lee's insistence that the project would ease recession pressure in Korea as inaccurate.

South Korean Christian pastor and environmentalist, Choi Byeong-seong (최병성), wrote a book The Republic of Korea Is Crumbling (대한민국이 무너지고 있다) that discusses the "purposeless" goals of the project.[19]

Increased risk of flooding

Dredging was feared to increase water flow velocity and erosion in upper streams and flooding in their lower reaches. A collapsed bridge in eastern Korea has been blamed on dredging.[20]

The Sangju Weir on the Nakdong River is under the danger of collapsing despite it had been completed.[21]

The river bed around the Changnyeong Haman weir has been experiencing depressions that could harm the structure of the weir.[22]

Separation of the people from nature

Other protests were that the project would remove citizens from the natural wetland vegetation of the river systems and their traditional recreational usage, by deepening the rivers to beyond safe wading depth and replacing native river flora with garden flowers and oak trees. Thus, this "Disneyfication" of the rivers meant less unplanned recreation and more reliance on business-oriented recreation, such as cruise boats.

The birthplace of the organic farming movement in Korea was destroyed, despite the farmers winning court case against the government. With plans to turn the land into a riverside 'amusement park,' the farmers were evicted. Eventually, a group of Paldang farmers, academics, and activists won a second long-fought court battle to use the grounds as an organic farming and ecology education center, the only such successful case on record against the South Korean administrative branch regarding this project.[23][24]

Fluvial geomorphologist, Matt Kondolf of University of California, Berkeley, criticized this project as an "obsolete" way of restoring rivers.[25]

River expert, Hans Bernhart of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, criticized the Four Major Rivers Project for the wide destruction of natural riverine environment according to his investigation along the Nakdong river.[26] He mentioned the constructed areas around the Nakdong river as "typical constructions for canals" as well as mentioned European examples of restoring rivers that had modified similar to the Four Major Rivers Project.[27]

Dr. Yamamoto Hirodake of the Kyoto University criticized the Four Major Rivers Project as a failed government-sponsored project that discourages both enterprise and environmental purposes akin to the Isahaya Bay Polder.[28]

There are allegations of building extensive golf courses around the project areas, which could harm the original purpose of the project's goal.[29]

South Korean painter, Kang Haeng-weon (강행원), released to the public his three paintings that depict the hope of restoring the developed four rivers back to their nature state.[30]

Financial risk

PR issues

Illegal and undemocratic conventions

In spite of numerous environmental and socioeconomic problems, Certain environment agencies has said The Four Major Rivers Project carried out by the Lee Myung-bak government has ignored many legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project.[43] This is due to the fact that President Lee Myung-bak himself has deeper connections and business-friendly attitudes to big private construction businesses. In May 2011, a private contractor of the project, GS Construction, had illegally stopped civilian environmental inspectors.[44]

South Korean conservative legal professor, Lee Sang-don criticized conservative newspapers for censoring the plight and the problems of this projects as well as hinting many problems with the Lee Myung-bak government in his book Silent Revolution.[45]

The Suwon District Court ordered three farmers to pay fine for disrupting against this government-led project on late March 2011 - later the farmers protested.[46]

The Busan High Court declared that the government-led Four Major Rivers Project is illegal on February 10, 2012.[47]

Political Intentions

The official completion ceremony of the Four Major Rivers Project is later postponed to March 2012 as declared on November 29, 2011 due to "safety reasons"; this is alleged to be the Grand National Party's promotional strategy for the river project right before the 2012 presidential election in order to avoid the anti-KORUS Free Trade Agreement crowds (Democratic Party members, farmers, citizen groups).[48]

References

  1. ↑ Kwon (권), Min-cheol (민철) (2011-10-28). 4대강 사업 완료를 중국이 환영하는 까닭은?. Nocut News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  2. ↑ Kwon (권), Min-cheol (민철) (2011-11-03). "세계3강 된다더니…MB표 자전거산업 일장춘몽 되나?". Nocut News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  3. ↑ 펄펄 끓는 '대운하 논쟁' 2008-12-20 Maeil
  4. 1 2 "Wetland Globes shine spotlight on world's most vulnerable habitats" (doc). worldwetnet.org/. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "World Wetland Network Wetland Globes : 4 Major Rivers Project, Republic of Korea" (pdf). worldwetnet.org/. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Dennis Normile. 2010. Restoration or Devastation. Science 1568-1570, March 26, 2010.
  7. ↑ Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2009. Masterplan for the Four Major Rivers Project.(in Korean) July 2009.
  8. ↑ Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 2010. Plan for Constructing Senery along the Geum River. August 2010.(in Korean)
  9. ↑ Yoon (윤), Seong-hyo (성효) (2011-06-19). 15년 잘 먹던 지하수, 4대강사업 탓에 구정물됐어요. OhMyNews (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  10. ↑ Pyo (표), Ju-yeon (주연) (2011-08-07). "4대강 사업 쓰레기 5808t '방치'". Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  11. ↑ Kwon (권), Yeong-eun (영은) (2011-10-26). 4대강 공사 인근 논길서 석면 검출 후 철거없이 흙으로 감춰. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  12. ↑ Park (박), Dae-han (대한) (2011-10-04). 4대강 사업 석면 자재 사용 논란. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  13. ↑ http://sociecity.com/rethink/south-koreas-four-rivers-project
  14. ↑ "28 endangered species gone due to 4-river project". The Korea Observer. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Lee Myung-Bak. 2009. 국민과의 대화(Talk with Peoples) Aired on November 27, 2009, MBC(Korean broadcasting company)
  16. ↑ MBC. 착공 한 달 전 기로에 선 4대강 사업. Aired on September 8, 2009.
  17. ↑ Hong Hung-Pyo. 착공 한 달 전 기로에 선 4대강 사업. Aired on September 8, 2009. MBC.
  18. ↑ Park (박), Yeong-ryul (영률) (2011-06-19). 4대강 공정률 70~80%… 작년 일자리는 목표치 1%대. The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  19. ↑ Lee (이), Bora (보라) (2011-10-20). 4대강 완공, 축제 아니라 애도할 때. Danbi News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-27. 환경운동가 최병성 ‘대한민국이 무너지고 있다’
  20. ↑ http://www.kfem.or.kr/kbbs/bbs/board.php?bo_table=hissue&wr_id=21832
  21. ↑ Kim (김), Yong-tae (용태) (2011-11-23). 물 새는 낙동강 상주보, 안전진단 없이 '땜질' 처방. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-25.
  22. ↑ Kim (김), Seon-gyeong (선경) (2012-03-03). 환경단체 "창녕함안보 상류서도 '세굴'". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  23. ↑ http://sociecity.com/beat-on-the-street/around-the-world-in-five-minutes-july-2-2012
  24. ↑ http://sociecity.com/rethink/south-korean-four-rivers-organic-education
  25. ↑ Yoo (유), Jeong-in (정인) (2010-09-28). 4대강 사업 미·유럽선 폐기된 방식… 한국정부에 물어볼 것 많다. The Kyunghyang Sinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  26. ↑ Kim (김), Seon-gyeong (선경) (2011-08-15). 낙동강 찾은 獨 하천전문가 "4대강사업 중단해야". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  27. ↑ Kim (김), Seong-man (성만) (2011-11-10). 4대강 사업 성공했다고? 유럽판 4대강은 복원 중. The Hankyoreh Ecological Webzine, Mulbaramsup (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  28. ↑ Han (한), Mi-hui (미희) (2011-10-24). 4대강 조사한 외국 학자들 "복원 아닌 파괴". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  29. ↑ Kim (김), yong-tae (용태); Kang Ju-hyeon (강주형) (2011-10-22). 4대강 둔치에 너도나도 "골프장 건설". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  30. ↑ Jeong (정), Sang-yeong (상영) (2011-11-20). 화폭에 아로새긴 독도·4대강의 ‘절규’. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  31. ↑ “4대강 유지관리 年 1조 든다” 2011-03-28 Kyunghyang
  32. ↑ Park (박), Yeong-ryul (영률) (2011-06-15). 완공뒤에도 ‘돈먹는 4대강’…연 유지비 2400억~1조원. The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  33. ↑ Lee (이), Yeong-cheol (영철) (2011-09-20). [2011국감] 4대강사업에 1000억원 불법 집행. Asia Economics (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  34. ↑ Choi (최), Jong-hun (종훈) (2011-09-22). 4대강 적자 메우려…수공, 수돗물값 ‘매년 3%씩’ 인상 계획. The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  35. ↑ Ryu (류), Ho-seong (호성) (2011-10-22). "공무원ㆍ학생 억지 동원에 TV 생중계까지". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  36. ↑ 김용옥 "연산군도 이렇게 해를 끼치진 않았다". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). 2011-10-30. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  37. ↑ 4대강 낙동강 일부 구간, 한달 만에 퇴적. MBC News (in Korean). 2011-12-10. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  38. ↑ Hong (홍), In-pyo (인표) (2011-04-26). 정부 4대강 홍보비 더 늘렸다. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  39. ↑ Cho (조), Min-jeong (민정) (2012-02-02). "4대강사업 완료 후에도 매년 4천900억 들어". Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  40. ↑ Jeong (정), Hwan-bo (환보) (2010-11-09). "대학생 MT까지 '4대강 홍보' 이용". Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  41. ↑ Kwon (권), O-seong (오성) (2011-08-08). 이 대통령 "4대강 사업으로 침수 피해 막아". The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  42. ↑ Choi (최), Seul-gi (슬기) (2011-10-17). 4대강 개방행사 중단, 홍수 피해부터 보상을. The Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  43. ↑ Jeung (정), Min Gull (민걸) (2010). "The Four Major Rivers Project: Destruction of East-asian Ecological Axis as an Example of Social Retrogression Derived from Anti-ecological Thought". Hwangyeong Cheolhak (환경철학). 10. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  44. ↑ Park (박), Su-jin (수진) (2011-05-23). "GS건설 '4대강 조사단' 통행 불법적으로 막아". The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  45. ↑ Park (박), Tae-gyeon (태견) (2011-06-14). 이상돈 "내 소원은 4대강사업 진상조사". Views&News (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-11-28.
  46. ↑ Park (박), Gyeon-man (경만) (2011-04-03). 4대강 농지이전 거부 괘씸죄? 두물머리 농민 3명 ‘벌금 폭탄’. The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-12-04.
  47. ↑ Seon (선), Myeong-su (명수); Park Gwan-gyu (박관규) (2012-02-10). 4대강 사업 첫 '위법' 판결…사업 취소는 못해. Pressian (in Korean). Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  48. ↑ Jeon (전), Jun-ho (준호); Park Gwan-gyu (박관규) (2011-11-30). 4대강 사업 준공 늦춘다. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-12-08.

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