Gangwon Province to Invest 145.5 Billion KRW to Strengthen Water Management for Drought, Heavy Rainfall, and Water Quality Improvement

Publication of the Nation's First Drought White Paper
Systematic Documentation of the Response Process
Foundational Resource for Future Disaster Response

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on December 22 that it plans to invest 145.5 billion KRW next year to create a safe Gangwon Province resilient to climate change and natural disasters caused by droughts and heavy rainfall.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) plans to invest 145.5 billion KRW next year to create a safe Gangwon Province resilient to climate change and natural disasters caused by droughts and heavy rainfall. Provided by Gangwon Province

This represents an increase of 27.48 billion KRW in national funding compared to the previous year, up 44.3%. By project, funding has increased by 2.6 billion KRW for drought response in the Yeongdong region, 16.7 billion KRW for heavy rainfall response, and 8.18 billion KRW for improving water quality at the Doam Dam. The total amount of national funding secured stands at 90 billion KRW.

For drought response in the Yeongdong region, the province will invest 6 billion KRW (4.5 billion KRW in national funding) to install four underground storage dams, 300 million KRW (fully funded by the national government) for a feasibility study on seawater desalination in six Yeongdong cities and counties, and 51.7 billion KRW (27.3 billion KRW in national funding) to replace and upgrade water purification plants and aging pipelines across seven cities and counties, covering 366.4 kilometers.

In particular, a total of 41.7 billion KRW will be invested in the Yeongok Water Purification Plant, combining 32 billion KRW in national funding and an additional 9.7 billion KRW in provincial funding through a project conversion.

Additionally, six cities and counties along the East Coast plan to conduct a feasibility study (2 billion KRW in provincial funding) for the establishment of an emergency water supply network for daily use.

To respond to heavy rainfall, the province will implement national projects including 75.9 billion KRW (44.1 billion KRW in national funding) for urban flood prevention in 26 locations across 10 cities and counties, and 8.6 billion KRW (5.2 billion KRW in national funding) for the installation of manhole fall prevention devices in eight cities and counties.

For the utilization of water from Doam Dam, the province has secured a budget of 9.54 billion KRW (6.68 billion KRW in national funding) for upstream pollution source blocking projects such as slope revegetation and gabion installation to reduce muddy water, and 2.1 billion KRW (1.5 billion KRW in national funding) for the creation of artificial wetlands at three sites to remove sediment washed down by rainfall. These projects are expected to initiate the full-scale supply of clean water to both Yeongdong and Yeongseo regions.

In addition, as part of the local government transition projects, the province will invest 46.1 billion KRW to develop water supply facilities in 23 rural and fishing communities, 8.6 billion KRW to improve small-scale water supply facilities at 28 sites, and 14.05 billion KRW to restore seven ecological streams, thereby providing optimal ecological services to residents in the province.

Meanwhile, the province has published the 2025 Gangneung Drought White Paper, which compiles the declaration and overcoming process of the drought disaster that occurred this year in the Gangneung area.

The white paper includes the progress and status of the drought in Gangneung during the drought period, the response processes of the province and Gangneung City, examples of water-saving participation by Gangneung citizens, mid- to long-term drought countermeasures based on analysis of the drought causes, and best practices for overcoming drought. Through this, the province has recorded the achievements of the disaster response process and suggested directions for future improvements.

Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "With the era of 10 trillion KRW in national funding, a total of 145.5 billion KRW, including 90 billion KRW in national funding, will be invested in Gangwon Province for water management projects such as drought and heavy rainfall response. In addition, by publishing the nation's first drought white paper, we will use it as a foundational resource to respond more effectively to similar disasters in the future."