Third-term watershed water management committees inaugurated with 91 civilian members across four basins

National and watershed bodies to strengthen coordination for basin-centered integrated water management

A view of Janghang Wetland at the Han River estuary. [Yonhap]
A view of Janghang Wetland at the Han River estuary. [Yonhap]

The National Water Management Committee and the watershed water management committees are set to pursue integrated, basin-centered water management in earnest through closer coordination and cooperation.

The National Water Management Committee, which operates under the president, said Monday it will hold an inauguration ceremony for the third-term watershed water management committees at the Government Sejong Convention Center.

The third-term National Water Management Committee completed its formation in February. On Aug. 21, the civilian chairs and 91 civilian members of the four watershed water management committees — covering the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River, and Yeongsan-Seomjin rivers — were appointed, with the Minister of Climate, Environment and Energy serving as government co-chair. The appointments complete the third-term water management committee framework spanning both the national and watershed levels.

The ceremony marks the formal start of activities for the newly appointed watershed members and is intended to strengthen coordination between national and watershed water management policy. At the event, Kim Jwa-kwan, civilian chair of the National Water Management Committee — with the prime minister serving as government co-chair — will present appointment certificates to the 91 newly named civilian members across the four basins.

The third-term watershed water management committees will serve as a bridge between national water management policy and conditions on the ground in each basin, incorporating diverse regional views into policy and translating national policy directions into approaches suited to the specific circumstances of each watershed.

As the climate crisis makes extreme floods and droughts increasingly common and advanced industries drive new water demand, water management conditions are changing rapidly. A national water management master plan — reflecting policy directions such as integrated management of power generation and agricultural water use — is set to be revised by the end of this year.

Through this process, the third-term National Water Management Committee plans to ensure that national and watershed water management policies are closely aligned, and to seek solutions to the varied water challenges facing each basin that take into account local conditions and stakeholder interests.

"Each watershed has its own natural environment and water-use conditions, and the solutions local residents need are equally diverse — so what matters is how integrated water management is actually realized at the watershed level," said Kim Sung-hwan, minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. "I hope the watershed water management committees will lead a water management governance structure that brings together diverse stakeholders and play a central role in advancing basin-centered integrated water management."

Kim Jwa-kwan, civilian chair of the National Water Management Committee, said, "What matters now is how closely the national and watershed levels are connected and move together. We will faithfully fulfill our role as the link between the two, so that the voices of the watersheds feed into national water management policy, and national policy in turn drives real change in each basin."


thlee@heraldcorp.com