Gyeonggi-do Takes Proactive Measures Against Spring Drought Including Reservoir Water Filling

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is taking proactive measures to respond to spring droughts, including filling reservoirs with water.

On the 24th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has prepared and will implement a 'Customized Agricultural Water Supply Plan' targeting areas at risk of drought damage in rural areas of the province. The plan includes ▲filling reservoirs with water ▲maintenance projects for water facilities ▲special support projects for drought damage.

First, the province will carry out 'filling reservoirs with water' by transferring river water to reservoirs with low water storage rates. Since September last year, a total of 1.5 billion KRW has been invested in four reservoirs with low water storage rates and a need for agricultural water supply. After emergency replacement and maintenance work on water pipelines, 32,000 tons of river water are brought daily, and so far, 2.3 million tons of water have been filled into the reservoirs.

Additionally, the province is conducting maintenance projects for water facilities to prevent water loss by repairing and reinforcing aging waterways such as earthen canals, thereby promoting smooth irrigation and water management. This year, a total of 15.1 billion KRW will be spent to maintain 53 km of irrigation and drainage canals in 120 districts across 19 cities and counties including Gwangju, Icheon, and Yangju.

The province will also implement a special support project for drought damage. This project, aimed at preparing for sudden droughts caused by climate change, will invest a total of 9.6 billion KRW to install and maintain 17 wells, 13 pumping stations, 5 weirs, and 3 reservoirs in 12 cities and counties including Anseong.

A provincial official explained, "We plan to proactively respond to droughts in the province by establishing an organic cooperation system with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, cities and counties, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation in preparation for drought occurrences."

Meanwhile, as of February, the average water storage rate of 337 agricultural reservoirs in the province is 91.3%, higher than the average storage rate of 84.5%. However, some reservoirs are below the average storage rate.