Sung Kim

Outcomes and Prospects for

Integrated Han River Basin

Management in Korea

Sustainable Water Resources Research Center, Korea

Korea is small

and water-stress country

- historically

- geographically

(26,266 km2)

- politically (50%)

- economically

(70%)

Han River Basin is

the heart of Korea

Han River is

an international river

Upstream (11%) is in North Korea

Han River Basin is the fastest

growing region

Economical and reliable water supply is a key.

GDP has growen four-fold for the tweny years .

#1 Developments of Han R

Basin was lead by US Army

Corps/USBR with concept of

the Western US.

#2 Nakdong R Basin by Delft

in The Netherlands with

European philosophy.

#3 Geum R Basin by Nippon

Koei in Japan with concept

between #1 and #2 .

Global ideas have been

practiced into Korea

Water Resources have been

developed extensively in HRB

three multi-purpose (5.7 bcm), six hydro,

and one flood-control dams

95.6% of people receives drinking water

through public water supply system.

Water demands have been satisfied,

and is now decreasing.

83.5% of population receives

sewerage service (2005, Korea)

But, rural area receives only 35.8%

Water problems have evolved

11

Simple, fundamentalwater shortage/flood/sewer

Solved by water-related

Ministries independently

Complex and basin-wide

environment/allocation

Challenges

before afterLate 1980’s

Challenges:

Sustainable Water Management

- River Environment

- Floods

- Water Security

- Water Quality

- Governance

River Environment Management

has become an political issue

nationwide since 2002

• In 2002, a candidate for Seoul City Mayor

made a proposal for Cheong Gye Cheon

restoration during election campaign.

• He was elected and realized the proposal.

Cheong Gye Cheon is

a small urban stream flowing

through the downtown of Seoul

After Korean War (1950) Elevated highway

construction (1967-1971)

Citynet 2008

2003 2005

Concrete structures were

demolished/removed and the

stream was restored in two years.

Citynet 2008

Cooling effect

28o 36

o

37o 36

o

Average 32.7oC

Cheong Gye CheonAverage 36.3oC

Nearby street

-3.6oC

Thermal image (27 July 2005)

Source

: CitiNet Seminar on Transportation Strategies

for Sustainable Development, September,

2008, Seoul, Republic of Korea

River Landscape project is

preferred to the restoration project

• As the mayor became current president (Mr.

Lee Myeongbak), all the rivers became targets

for landscape projects.

• For example, Renaissence Project by Seoul

City

Unaffordable Flood Damages

since late 1980’s

58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03

0

500,000,000

1,000,000,000

1,500,000,000

2,000,000,000

2,500,000,000

3,000,000,000

3,500,000,000

4,000,000,000

4,500,000,000

5,000,000,000

5,500,000,000

6,000,000,000

6,500,000,000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003

mm

Average of 1-hr maximum

rainfall ‘73-’2004 in HRB

Extreme rainfall intensity

increases very rapidly

20

Soyanggang Dam

Because of increased design flood,

twenty-three spillways of major dams

are or will be expanded by 2015

A New Flexible Flood Level policy

has been practiced since 2005

Flood Season (June-Sep.)

Maximum Water Level during the flood season

Dam

Level

In 17th July 2007, a near-PMF flood was

handled without damage by the new

policy at the Chungju Multi-purpose Dam.

PMF/Q

26,000/

23,000 cms

MaxWL / WL

138 / 132 m

5

년

6

년

6

년

7

년

7

년946

In spring of 2009, water shortage occurred

owing to the new policy with below normal

precipitation.

Challenges: Water Quality

• Despite of the heavy

investment (2.88

billion US$ from ‘98-

’05) on water quality

improvement, water

quality management

goal of keeping below

BOD 1.0 hasn’t been

achieved.

2.0

1.6

1.2

0.8

0.4

01989 1995 2000 2005

Year

ppm

BOD Concentration (1989~2007)

* Measured in Paldang Dam

* Source: Water Environment Information System,

http://water.nier.go.kr

‘Water Use Charge’ has been practiced since 1998 by ME

• Chair : Minister (Ministry of Environment)

• Members : Mayors of local governments,

President of K-water, President of Korea Electric

Power

• Mission : Allocation of the Basin Management

Funds to local governments through a

deliberation and consultation

• Water quality of Hangang River Basin

(Paldang Lake point) has been improved from

1.5 ppm BOD in 1997 to 1.2 ppm in 2006.

Challenges: Governance

• There are many ministries and

organizations relating water management,

but none for taking responsibility and

solving complicated water problems

Water Reform

27

Build Sustainable Water Cycle for

Coexistence of Men and Nature

Integrated Water Resources

Management

Proposed “Basic Water

Management Law”

Presidential order (2005)

Failed for Legislation in NA

(May 31, 2008)

Propose again in 2009

Summary and Conclusion

• supply => demand => sustainable management

1 Korean water management has been successful

2 Problems also have been evolved

• Basin-wide, complex, multi-functional problems owing to

poor integration

3 Water reforms are needed

• Legislation for Basic Water Management Law is

indispensible