Korea Water Resources Corporation President Yoon Seok-dae (right) and Global Green Growth Institute Director-General Kim Sang-hyup pose for a photo after signing an MOU to strengthen cooperation on climate change response and sustainable water management at the GGGI headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Korea Water Resources Corporation]
Korea Water Resources Corporation President Yoon Seok-dae (right) and Global Green Growth Institute Director-General Kim Sang-hyup pose for a photo after signing an MOU to strengthen cooperation on climate change response and sustainable water management at the GGGI headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Korea Water Resources Corporation]

Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) at the organization's Seoul headquarters on Friday to strengthen cooperation on climate change response and sustainable water management.

The agreement builds on a partnership the two organizations established in 2021 and is designed to deepen that collaboration further.

Under the MOU, K-water will officially join GGGI's New Frontier Group — an operational project platform open to both public institutions and private companies — becoming the first public institution to do so.

Through the platform, K-water plans to participate jointly from the policy development and project planning stages, proactively identifying projects based on local demand and improving their prospects for commercialization.

The two organizations also plan to expand cooperation across a range of areas, including climate change adaptation, smart water management and digital transformation, and the identification of international development cooperation projects.

In particular, they will work together to develop business models that combine funding from international organizations and multilateral development banks with K-water's advanced water management technologies, including AI-powered water purification plants, in line with the growth of the global green finance market.

The two sides plan to jointly explore concrete commercialization strategies targeting climate-vulnerable countries — including those in the Mekong region — such as building flood early-warning systems and developing smart water management platforms.

"In an era of climate crisis, water is a core green asset underpinning energy security and carbon neutrality," K-water President Yoon Seok-dae said. "Through this agreement, we will strengthen global multilateral cooperation, create a turning point for entering new overseas markets, and contribute to overcoming the climate crisis while fostering the growth of Korea's water industry."

GGGI Director-General Kim Sang-hyup said K-water is a world-class water management institution with extensive experience and outstanding technical capabilities. "I am confident that our cooperation will generate innovative and tangible results in addressing climate change and advancing green growth," he said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com