[Exclusive] Planting Trees and Using Green Plants... Green Infrastructure Without 'Innovation'

230 Billion KRW Budget Invested Until 2022
Greenterior, Rooftop Garden Creation, etc.
Government Expects Fine Dust Reduction Effects
"No Different from Past Civil Engineering Projects" Criticism

Reference photo

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government has planned a green infrastructure project worth 23 billion KRW to reduce fine dust. It is expected to be promoted as part of the 'Green New Deal' policy, which aims to revive both the environment and the economy simultaneously. However, since the projects involve planting trees along national highways and changing the interior and exterior walls of rest area buildings using green plants, critics argue that these efforts are far from being 'innovative.'

According to a government official on the 28th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport decided to invest a total of 22.58 billion KRW in building green infrastructure, including facility improvements to reduce fine dust. Through this, fine dust is expected to decrease by up to 30%, and the projects are anticipated to provide building insulation and energy-saving effects.

The green infrastructure project is expected to play a part in the government's key Green New Deal policy. The Green New Deal is a policy that stimulates the economy and creates jobs through environmental investments. In this regard, the government is drawing a line from past policies focused on large-scale civil engineering projects. However, upon examining the green infrastructure plan, it seems difficult to avoid criticism that the project has merely shifted from 'construction' to 'landscaping.'

The green infrastructure project includes ▲ establishing fine dust specialized facilities at rest areas and drowsy driving rest spots (5.4 billion KRW) ▲ greenterior and facade greening projects at rest areas using green plants (5 billion KRW) ▲ creating roadside tree belts (300 million KRW) ▲ improving planting methods in green spaces such as interchanges and junctions (11.8 billion KRW).

First, mist pergolas and fog spray facilities that reduce fine dust and cool summer heat will be installed at Chupungnyeong, Ok-gye, and Chunhyang rest areas, as well as Pungsan and Jangseong drowsy driving rest spots. Additionally, vines and shrubs will be planted near rest areas to block fine dust and create green spaces.

A pilot greenterior (green + interior) project, which fills rest area interiors with green plants, will also be conducted. Chupungnyeong and Jangheung rest areas are the targets. Greenterior is known to help purify indoor air and promote mental and physical relaxation. At Ulju and Munui rest areas, facade greening projects planting green plants on building exteriors and rooftop garden creation will be implemented.

Large-scale green spaces will be created by planting trees that help reduce fine dust at highway interchanges and junctions. A total of 16 locations, including the Dangjin-Cheonan line, have been selected, with a budget of 11.8 billion KRW allocated. The government expects this project to reduce fine dust by 7,900 kg annually and generate benefits worth 3.5 billion KRW. Additionally, the plan includes creating dense vegetation in areas with schools and residential zones along roadsides to block fine dust.

The government will promote this green infrastructure project over three years from this year through 2022. Korea Expressway Corporation will be responsible for the actual project implementation. A representative from the Expressway Corporation said, "This project was prepared to reduce fine dust even before the Green New Deal became an issue," adding, "There is a possibility that the project scale will expand during the process of constructing new rest areas."

The problem is that this project is disconnected from innovations or digital social overhead capital (SOC) that respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. Critics argue that it is merely a landscaping project replacing large-scale civil engineering projects from past administrations.

Professor Sung Tae-yoon of Yonsei University said, "Civil engineering projects are expenditures that do not connect to productivity improvements across the economy," adding, "The green infrastructure project does not seem much different." He continued, "While I fully agree with the concept of the Green New Deal, it should not remain just a general fiscal expenditure project," and added, "Projects unrelated to innovation have reduced fiscal expenditure effects and are far from the purpose of the Korean New Deal."