Comprehensive Measures Against Heat Waves, Heavy Rain, and Strong Winds in Effect
Research on Utilizing Firebreak Green Tea Field
Jinhae District in Changwon Special City, South Gyeongsang Province, has been fully implementing comprehensive safety measures against summer heat waves and disasters since June, aiming to ensure the safety of its citizens.
According to Jinhae District Office on the 19th, the district is conducting area-by-area weed removal to improve urban aesthetics and is seeking ways to revitalize and develop the 100,000-pyeong firebreak green tea field as a tourism resource.
The "Comprehensive Summer Citizen Safety Measures," which are being implemented from June 2 to September 30, include responses to natural disasters, alleviation of inconveniences in citizens' daily lives, reinforcement of public health and hygiene, and energy conservation.
In particular, the district is operating cooling shelters to prepare for heat waves, implementing rest periods to protect workers, and providing care connections for vulnerable groups. It is also focusing on preemptive response systems such as operating a disaster situation room, maintaining stormwater drains, and inspecting landslide-prone areas to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds. Additionally, efforts are being made to manage the overall living environment, including waste collection, traffic enforcement, food hygiene inspections, and air quality management.
Jinhae District has shifted from department-specific weed removal to a joint system involving five departments, dividing the district into eight zones and conducting intensive weeding twice a month. Through this collaborative system, the district is consistently improving the overall urban landscape of rivers, parks, roads, and sports facilities, focusing on creating a well-organized living environment that residents can directly experience.
Jinhae District plans to utilize the approximately 100,000-pyeong green tea field, established for wildfire prevention between 1997 and 2010, as an ecotourism resource. The district is also exploring ways to develop various products using Jinhae green tea in collaboration with local young entrepreneurs (such as restaurant and tea house owners), as well as to promote and sell these products during the Gunhangje Festival.
This green tea field is known as a tea leaf harvesting site in nearby areas and is gaining attention as a resource with ecological and regional value. The district plans to commission research from professional institutions to concretize the development of ecotourism content, regional branding, and the establishment of a sustainable development model.
Jung Hyunseop, Jinhae District Mayor, stated, "All departments are working together not only to ensure summer safety but also to make tangible improvements to the living environment," adding, "We will continue to create a Jinhae where citizen safety and urban aesthetics are in harmony."
He added, "We will develop the green tea field, a hidden asset of Jinhae, into an ecotourism resource to revitalize the local community."
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