The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project
Encyclopedia
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project of is the multi-purpose green growth project on the Han River (Korea)
, Nakdong River
, Geum River
and Yeongsan River
in South Korea
. The project was spearheaded by current South Korean president Lee Myung-bak
and was declared complete on October 21, 2011. The restoration project's aims were to provide or improve water security, flood control and ecosystem vitality. 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 10,000km 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.
The Korean government estimated about 800 million ㎥ of water was needed to prevent water scarcity in 2011, and expected the need to grow to one billion ㎥ 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.
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, the state-led construction project to repair the rivers Han, Nakdong, Yeongsan and Geum, is a plan for the future, to pass down clean water sources to the next generations. Some argue that the project will only leave the ecology in ruins, but nothing could be farther from the truth. This article describes some of the expected results after the project is completed on all four rivers.
Divide the amount of water pollutants by the amount of water flow and you’ll get the figure for the pollution level of a river. To reduce the level of pollution, the solution is to either increase the amount of water flow or decrease the amount of pollutants.
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project intends to establish dams, reservoirs, banks and other environment-friendly facilities to enlarge water basins, so that a larger amount of clean water can be secured. This also entails establishing a bigger sewage system, facilities to prevent green algae and re-alignment of nearby farmlands to control the usage of fertilizer and other materials that could harm the river.
Once the project is completed, Korea will have secured extra reservoir space that can contain 1.3 billion cubic meters of water. More water will mean less water pollution, even during the dry season. Projects like dredging up mud from the river bottom can also have the same effect of eliminating pollutants.
The government has selected 34 out of 66 regions close to the rivers that need intense pollution control. The government also has plans to pursue over 1,300 kinds of pollution-reduction projects and install a total phosphorus (TP) facility on some 250 waste water systems.
The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) testified that extra water will assure a significant improvement in water quality in all four rivers by 2012. According to the NIER estimate, Korea will have increased the rate of clean water from the current 76 percent to 86 percent by having reduced the level of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) within water to below 3㎎/ℓ (the lower the BOD, the better the water).
Water with such a low BOD level only requires a filtering system and not chemical procedures to make it potable. Check out the present conditions of the four rivers.
Current river water quality
The state of the Nakdong River has been deteriorating since 2003. The Ministry of Environment revealed in its study that 27 out of 41 water courses showed steady increases in their BOD after comparing the figures from 2004 to 2009. The pollutants that continued to accumulate within the riverbeds were mostly blamed on the reduction of water and increase of algae, especially during the dry season. In such cases even the most advanced water treatment system will have trouble completely cleansing the river.
The water of the Nakdong River is being used by people in the Busan region. The extra water expected to be secured through the four rivers project is likely to play a great role in tackling this problem.
The Geum River is not in great shape either. Again, the environment ministry revealed through its three-year study from 2007 to 2009 that its annual water quality has only worsened. Its BOD level went up by 36.7 percent, attributed to the influx of earth and sand that continued to pile up beneath the river and together with pollutants from nearby farmlands.
Experts believe the problem can be taken care of by employing an advanced water treatment system that comes with dredging river bottoms, erecting reservoir beams and wider water-friendly systems within the city.
The Yeongsan River used to be one of the key watercourses to the sea. But the influx of sea water through the tidal flow led to the creation of three dams on the upper river region and Yeongsan estuary bank. The existing water source moved from the Yeongsan River to the nearby rivers of Seomjin and Tamjin, leaving the Yeongsan largely as a venue for processing of daily sewage and livestock waste.
Things turned worse when waste water from factories and other waste systems started to flow in directly. After some re-arrangement from the River Project, the Yeongsan River in the Damyang region is expected to re-gain its old status as having clean, safe water.
The Han River is in somewhat better condition than other rivers mentioned above, thanks to more prompt investment from the government. However, seasonal changes in the amount of pollutants and the advent of small amounts of harmful substances that don’t even show up on BOD or chemical oxygen demand (COD) scales are some concerning signs.
Water pollution intensifies around February to April, due to reduction of water inflow and it is also the period when farmers apply fertilizer to their farms around the region. Some of the fertilizer leaches into the water table, and then to the river.
The waterway of the Han River needs to be realigned, three new reservoirs need to be created and the existing 12 ones enlarged to secure an additional 50 million tons of water. This will prevent the loss of water captured during the wet seasons to be supplied during the dry season from February to April and prevent further pollution.
could benefit a potential sales hike of Made in China bicycles in South Korea, in which 85% of bicycles in South Korea are imported. 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.
. 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 around:
, 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.
Also cited is the lack of reference to other benefits of storing the water, other than water security.
There is a suspicion that only 1% of the jobs required to finish the project were new jobs created by the planners, 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 about the "purposeless" goals of the project.
The Sangju Weir on the Nakdong River is under the danger of collapsing despite it had been completed.
Fluvial geomorphologist, Matt Kondolf of University of California, Berkeley
, criticized this project as an "obsolete" way of restoring rivers.
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. 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.
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.
There are allegations of building extensive golf courses around the project areas, which could harm the original purpose of the project's goal.
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.
has ignored many legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project. 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.
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.
Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
, Nakdong River
Nakdong River
The Nakdong River is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.-Geography:...
, Geum River
Geum River
The Geum-gang River is located in South Korea. It is a major river that originates in Jangsu-eub, North Jeolla Province. It flows northward through North Jeolla and North Chungcheong Provinces and then changes direction in the vicinity of Greater Daejeon and flows southwest through South...
and Yeongsan River
Yeongsan River
The Yeongsan River is a river in south-western South Korea. It has a length of 115.5km, and covers an area of 3,371 km2. Yeongsan River starts from the Yongchubong Peak located in Yong-myeon, Damyang County, South Jeolla Province...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The project was spearheaded by current South Korean president Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
and was declared complete on October 21, 2011. The restoration project's aims were to provide or improve water security, flood control and ecosystem vitality. 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 10,000km 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 ㎥ of water was needed to prevent water scarcity in 2011, and expected the need to grow to one billion ㎥ 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
Chemical oxygen demand
In environmental chemistry, the chemical oxygen demand test is commonly used to indirectly measure the amount of organic compounds in water. Most applications of COD determine the amount of organic pollutants found in surface water or wastewater, making COD a useful measure of water quality...
and total phosphorus counts that can result in the waterways' eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
.
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.
Proactive response against climate change
- Secure water resources in various ways to deal with droughts
- Convert from investment centered on disaster recovery into investment focused on prevention
Diversification of ways to secure water resources
- Dredging sediments, Elevation of banks around agricultural reservoirs
- Expansion and connection of existing water resources facilities
- Continuous development of new water resources
Paradigm shift in river management policies
- River management policies such as dredging sediment will expand the flood spilling capacity
- Initial investment for prevention measures to minimize flood damages will be augmented.
Utilization of river areas as multipurpose spaces for the co-existence of the people and environment
- Gradual adjustment of riverside farmlands
- Creation of new areas for leisurely activities utilizing rivers
- Improvement of the access to waterfronts
- Enhance the value of the riverside as scenic areas
- Pursue regional development centered on rivers that elevates regional culture, ecological landscape, and quality of life.
Implementation of five core challenges to achieve the goal of renewing the territory
- Korea is trying to secure adequate water supply (1.3 billion ㎥) to respond to future water scarcity and severe drought due to climate change. To this end, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will build reservoirs and small dams, and expand the storage capacity of agricultural reservoirs.
- Preemptive measures are necessary against repetitive floods due to climate change, as well as 200-year floods. Therefore, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime is starting to dredge sediment, strengthen old levees, and build dams. (Secure 920 million ㎥ of flood control capacity)
- By 2012, the water quality of the mainstream will be improved to an average of level two (Biochemical Oxygen DemandBiochemical oxygen demandBiochemical oxygen demand or B.O.D. is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The term also refers to a chemical procedure for...
less than 3ppm) by expanding sewage treatment facilities and establishing green algae reduction facilities. Moreover, the ministry is trying to restore ecological rivers, create wetlands, and readjust farmlands to rehabilitate the ecosystem. - Rivers will turn into multipurpose areas for lifestyle, leisure, tourism, cultural activities, and green growthGreen growthGreen Growth is a term to describe a path of economic growth which uses natural resources in a sustainable manner. It is used globally to provide an alternative concept to standard economic growth...
. To this end, bicycle lanes (1,728 km) will be developed, hands-on tour programs will be promoted, and walkways and sports facilities will be expanded. - The project will also contribute to regional development through various plans that utilize the infrastructure planned in the project and the scenery. The examples are ‘Four major rivers that flow with culture’ of Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and ‘Creating a vivid land of beautiful scenery’ of Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Project time and cost
- Restoration of the four mainstreams such as dredging sediments and building reservoirs will be completed by 2011. Projects for the branch streams as well as building dams and agricultural reservoirs will be completed by 2012.
- Total cost is estimated at 16.9 trillion KRW.
Twelve cities and provinces submitted 836 recommendations worth 98.3 trillion KRW
- River-related 213 cases worth 6.9 trillion KRW that were coherent with the master plan were reflected. Examples are dredging sediments, fortifying levees, and restoring ecological rivers.
Expected Benefits
An opportunity for Korea to position itself as a powerhouse in water resources in the international communityFundamental resolution of floods and water scarcity
- 1.3 billion ㎥ of water secured will strengthen our capacity to respond to future water shortage and droughts.
-
- Increased water storage thanks to dredging sediment and building reservoirs will equip us against droughts.
- 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.
- Flood control capacity increased by 920 million ㎥ will enable us to fight climate change and keep our rivers safe even upon 200-year floods.
-
- Flood damage and recovery expenses will decrease by dredging sediment.
- The down-streams will be protected by retention and riverside reservoirs.
- The reinforcement of old levees will raise the safety in flood control
Contribution to sound restoration of the ecosystem
- Secure swimmable water quality (level two, Biochemical Oxygen DemandBiochemical oxygen demandBiochemical oxygen demand or B.O.D. is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The term also refers to a chemical procedure for...
3ppm) by 2012, earlier than the originally scheduled 2015. - Improvement of the environment through restoration of ecological rivers and development of waterside belts
- Readjustment of farmlands in riversides will reduce non-point pollution sources and improve the ecological environment.
Increased quality of cultural and leisurely activities, and lives
- Local residents will enjoy culture, relaxation, and sports in redeveloped waterfronts
- The promotion of water sports and the construction of bicycle lanes will increase the opportunity for leisurely activities.
Local economies revitalized through the Green New Deal
- The real economy will be recovered by stimulating domestic demand and creating new jobs.
- As a part of the Green New Deal, the rivers restoration project will be utilized as a new growth engine.
- The benefits reaped from the project on the four major rivers areas which account for 70 percent of our territory will contribute to regional development.
- Regional growth will be accelerated through the rivers-oriented development.
- Overall, it is expected that the project will create 340,000 jobs and generate an estimated 40 trillion won (US$ 31.1 billion) of positive economic effects.
Promotion of green growth projects
- Clean-IT sensors to manage the river environment and disasters will be applied to this project
-
- 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.
- Establishment of a digital tour system for the four major rivers
- 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.
- Development of unmanned underwater robots for environmental management of the four major rivers
- Scientific management of resources and environment of the underwater which is difficult to access will become possible by using robots.
- Installment of photovoltaic and small hydropower power plants
- Photovoltaic power generation facilities will be built in riversides that are not submerged.
- The government will construct small hydropower plants when expanding existing reservoirs and agricultural reservoirs.
- 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.
Project's side of water quality improvement
Below is the excerpt from Korean article which depicts the project's effect on restoration of river water quality.The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, the state-led construction project to repair the rivers Han, Nakdong, Yeongsan and Geum, is a plan for the future, to pass down clean water sources to the next generations. Some argue that the project will only leave the ecology in ruins, but nothing could be farther from the truth. This article describes some of the expected results after the project is completed on all four rivers.
Divide the amount of water pollutants by the amount of water flow and you’ll get the figure for the pollution level of a river. To reduce the level of pollution, the solution is to either increase the amount of water flow or decrease the amount of pollutants.
The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project intends to establish dams, reservoirs, banks and other environment-friendly facilities to enlarge water basins, so that a larger amount of clean water can be secured. This also entails establishing a bigger sewage system, facilities to prevent green algae and re-alignment of nearby farmlands to control the usage of fertilizer and other materials that could harm the river.
Once the project is completed, Korea will have secured extra reservoir space that can contain 1.3 billion cubic meters of water. More water will mean less water pollution, even during the dry season. Projects like dredging up mud from the river bottom can also have the same effect of eliminating pollutants.
The government has selected 34 out of 66 regions close to the rivers that need intense pollution control. The government also has plans to pursue over 1,300 kinds of pollution-reduction projects and install a total phosphorus (TP) facility on some 250 waste water systems.
The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) testified that extra water will assure a significant improvement in water quality in all four rivers by 2012. According to the NIER estimate, Korea will have increased the rate of clean water from the current 76 percent to 86 percent by having reduced the level of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) within water to below 3㎎/ℓ (the lower the BOD, the better the water).
Water with such a low BOD level only requires a filtering system and not chemical procedures to make it potable. Check out the present conditions of the four rivers.
Current river water quality
The state of the Nakdong River has been deteriorating since 2003. The Ministry of Environment revealed in its study that 27 out of 41 water courses showed steady increases in their BOD after comparing the figures from 2004 to 2009. The pollutants that continued to accumulate within the riverbeds were mostly blamed on the reduction of water and increase of algae, especially during the dry season. In such cases even the most advanced water treatment system will have trouble completely cleansing the river.
The water of the Nakdong River is being used by people in the Busan region. The extra water expected to be secured through the four rivers project is likely to play a great role in tackling this problem.
The Geum River is not in great shape either. Again, the environment ministry revealed through its three-year study from 2007 to 2009 that its annual water quality has only worsened. Its BOD level went up by 36.7 percent, attributed to the influx of earth and sand that continued to pile up beneath the river and together with pollutants from nearby farmlands.
Experts believe the problem can be taken care of by employing an advanced water treatment system that comes with dredging river bottoms, erecting reservoir beams and wider water-friendly systems within the city.
The Yeongsan River used to be one of the key watercourses to the sea. But the influx of sea water through the tidal flow led to the creation of three dams on the upper river region and Yeongsan estuary bank. The existing water source moved from the Yeongsan River to the nearby rivers of Seomjin and Tamjin, leaving the Yeongsan largely as a venue for processing of daily sewage and livestock waste.
Things turned worse when waste water from factories and other waste systems started to flow in directly. After some re-arrangement from the River Project, the Yeongsan River in the Damyang region is expected to re-gain its old status as having clean, safe water.
The Han River is in somewhat better condition than other rivers mentioned above, thanks to more prompt investment from the government. However, seasonal changes in the amount of pollutants and the advent of small amounts of harmful substances that don’t even show up on BOD or chemical oxygen demand (COD) scales are some concerning signs.
Water pollution intensifies around February to April, due to reduction of water inflow and it is also the period when farmers apply fertilizer to their farms around the region. Some of the fertilizer leaches into the water table, and then to the river.
The waterway of the Han River needs to be realigned, three new reservoirs need to be created and the existing 12 ones enlarged to secure an additional 50 million tons of water. This will prevent the loss of water captured during the wet seasons to be supplied during the dry season from February to April and prevent further pollution.
Bicycles
Companies from the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
could benefit a potential sales hike of Made in China bicycles in South Korea, in which 85% of bicycles in South Korea are imported. 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.
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 EarthFriends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
. The criticism has also been seized upon by others who are more generally opposed to the South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
's, administration. The criticism centers around:
- The economic viability of the project.
- The project's doubtful goal, suspected for Grand Korean WaterwayGrand Korean WaterwayThe Grand Korean Waterway, officially known as the Pan Korea Grand Waterway, is a proposed long canal connecting Seoul and Busan, two of South Korea's largest cities. The canal would run diagonally across the country connecting the Han River, which flows through Seoul into the Yellow Sea, to the...
. - The fact that the Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental impact assessmentAn environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
was carried out before the project plans were completed. - The fact that the four provinces that host the project currently have a relatively few water management problems while Gangwon Province and the highlands have a greater need for water management.
- The project plan fails to identify the reason to store the rivers' waters.
- The project will change the natural flow of the rivers and increase erosion.
- Once completed, the project will reduce leisure access to the riverbanks.
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. Opposing voices said these dams would turn the rivers into artificially stepped lakes, rather than the relatively free flowing rivers they are at present.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 WaterwayGrand Korean Waterway
The Grand Korean Waterway, officially known as the Pan Korea Grand Waterway, is a proposed long canal connecting Seoul and Busan, two of South Korea's largest cities. The canal would run diagonally across the country connecting the Han River, which flows through Seoul into the Yellow Sea, to the...
, 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.
Pollutions
- There was a report of polluted underground water in Changweon, Gyeongsangnam-do due to this construction project.
- The Ministry of Environmental Affairs announced on August 7th, 2011, that it identified 12,660 tons of abandoned construction waste around the 11 main construction sites.
- Traces of asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
were found along the bicycle roads in AndongAndongAndong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
Nakdong river area.
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, however most of the project's operations were conducted in other provinces (Gyunggi, Gyungsang, Junra and Choongchung) and lowlands.Also cited is the lack of reference to other benefits of storing the water, other than water security.
There is a suspicion that only 1% of the jobs required to finish the project were new jobs created by the planners, 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 about the "purposeless" goals of the project.
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.The Sangju Weir on the Nakdong River is under the danger of collapsing despite it had been completed.
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.Fluvial geomorphologist, Matt Kondolf of University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, criticized this project as an "obsolete" way of restoring rivers.
River expert, Hans Bernhart of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a German academic research and education institution with university status resulting from a merger of the university and the research center of the city of Karlsruhe. The university, also known as Fridericiana, was founded in 1825...
, criticized the Four Major Rivers Project for the wide destruction of natural riverine environment according to his investigation along the Nakdong river. 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.
Dr. Yamamoto Hirodake of the Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
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.
There are allegations of building extensive golf courses around the project areas, which could harm the original purpose of the project's goal.
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.
Financial risk
- The Professors' Group for Opposing the River & Waterway Project (운하반대교수모임) opposes this project by stating that the annual maintenance budget after the constructions would cost very expensive, around one trillion won.
- Democratic Party politician Kim Jae-gyun (김재균) criticized that the government and other regional political groups illegally extorted 1 billion Korean won for the project.
- The Korea Water Resources Corporation plans to increase the price of tap water every year to recover a huge loss of financial resources on the project.
- There has been too much money spending on the opening ceremonies of the four main weirs, promoted by Lee Myung-bak.
- South Korean philosopher, Do-olDo-olDoh-ol is the pen name of the contemporary South Korean philosopher Young-Oak Kim . He was born June 14, 1948 in Cheonan....
had voiced his opinion in the online talk show Naneun Ggomsuda on October 29th, 2011 by saying "The whole land is dug up. Even Yeonsangun didn't harm the land around this level. Does it make sense that collecting every taxpayers' money is to dig up the bottom of rivers? This project is a waste that doesn't create any money nor any national asset."
PR issues
- The project PR department had conducted field trips for SNU students and had ignored or deflect criticisms from them.
- President Lee Myung-bak officially mentioned how this project prevented flooding in 2011, however citizens groups centered in DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
demanded to stop the opening ceremonies of the new river-based facilities and to compensate the flood damages caused by the project.
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 governmentLee Myung-bak government
The Lee Myung-bak government is sixth consecutive government of the Sixth Republic of South Korea. It was officially launched on February 25th, 2008, under Lee Myung-bak's victory in the 2007 presidential election...
has ignored many legal and democratic procedures that were required for the project. 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
GS Group
GS Group is a Korean conglomerate. GS comprises GS Holdings and subsidiaries & affiliates including GS Caltex, GS Retail, GS Shop, GS EPS, GS Global, GS Sports and GS E&C among others. The asset size is at 31.1 trillion KRW as the end of 2007 placing GS at the 6th largest in Korea excluding the...
, had illegally stopped civilian environmental inspectors.
South Korean conservative legal professor, Lee Sang-don
Lee Sang-don (1951)
Lee Sang-don is a South Korean legal scholar and a conservative political activist. He currently works as a professor at Chung-Ang University.-Education:...
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
Lee Myung-bak government
The Lee Myung-bak government is sixth consecutive government of the Sixth Republic of South Korea. It was officially launched on February 25th, 2008, under Lee Myung-bak's victory in the 2007 presidential election...
in his book Silent Revolution.
External links
- Official website of The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project
[4대강 보 4곳 동시 개방 환경파괴 논란은 아직 안 끝나], controversies surrounding the openings of four reserves of the project 4대강 재앙의 축포, 가증스런 MB어천가, the dangers of the Four Major Rivers Project 안창호 선생 이용한 MB, 이거 보면 '굴욕' 4대강 사업 강행하면 '전두환'처럼 됩니다