Gyeonggi-do Uses Natural Disaster Fund for 'Disaster Prevention'... Supports Facilities Managed by Cities and Counties Too

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province will use the disaster management fund for disaster prevention and preparedness projects as well.

On the 15th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has changed the fund operation policy to actively utilize the disaster management fund, which was previously limited to disaster response and recovery, for disaster prevention and preparedness projects to reduce damage from natural disasters caused by the climate crisis. The support will be expanded not only to public facilities under the province’s jurisdiction but also to facilities under the jurisdiction of cities and counties.

Gyeonggi Province has established the "2024 Disaster Management Fund Operation Policy," which includes these details, and will invest 55.7 billion KRW this year in improving disaster-vulnerable facilities in the province and cities/counties, an increase of 37 billion KRW compared to last year.

The disaster management fund is a statutory fund established under the Disaster and Safety Act to cover all costs from disaster prevention to recovery by accumulating a certain amount annually. This year, the statutory accumulation amount for the disaster management fund is 131.6 billion KRW, and the province plans to operate a budget of 340.7 billion KRW based on the main budget.

Gyeonggi Province will first promote the "Climate Crisis Response Strategic Project," which expands the main use of the disaster management fund from disaster response and recovery to the entire disaster management process, including prevention and preparedness. Until now, the fund was mainly used for emergency response and urgent recovery during disasters and various response drills, but from this year, the policy has shifted to focus on investing in disaster prevention projects. Current projects include eight initiatives such as installing automatic entry blocking facilities in underground passages and installing blocking devices along riverbanks. Flood and wind-related projects are planned to be completed before the rainy season.

Gyeonggi Province will also newly expand support for public facilities under the jurisdiction of cities and counties, whereas the fund had previously been focused on facilities managed by the province, such as local river dredging and automatic salt spray devices on local roads.

Gyeonggi Province has also allocated disaster management funds and disaster relief funds for emergency measures in case of sudden disaster damage.

The province has allocated 21 billion KRW from the total disaster management fund and 20 billion KRW from the disaster relief fund as items to be used in case of disaster damage, enabling immediate fund support upon the occurrence of urgent disaster situations.

Oh Byeong-kwon, the first deputy governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized, "In the era of the climate crisis, we have completely transformed the paradigm of disaster management fund operation policy from the new year. Through the ‘Climate Crisis Response Strategic Project,’ investing 55.7 billion KRW in eight projects, we will protect the lives and property of the residents."