South Korea: Nakdong Reservoirs Running Dry

The Korea Water Resources Corporation’s inadequate water management is contributing to a water shortage in the Nakdong River. According to analysis of data the Chosun Ilbo obtained with the help of Grand National Party lawmaker Yoon Young, five multi-purpose dams along the Nakdong River can supply 560 million tons of water, including expected rainfalls, until June 20 when the rainy season begins. But the actual amount residents and facilities along the river need is as much as 730 million tons, indicating a crisis in the making even if water is used sparingly.

The Samdeok reservoir bed on the upper stream of the Nakdong River is dry on Sunday due to a fierce drought in South Gyeongsang Province.

According to the corporation’s own regulations, when dams are short of water, it is necessary to reduce supply needed for the maintenance of the eco-systems at streams first; then for irrigation; and finally for people and industrial use.

Dr. Park Ki-wook of the Rural Research Institute said, “Unless we have more rain than in previous years, we will experience shortage of irrigation water from April. Then the southern regions will suffer severe crop damage, and the damage will become worse in May.”

Dr. Kim Sung of the Korea Institute of Construction Technology said, “The basic principle of dam management is to store maximum amounts of water in dams for the three months of the flood season from June 20 to Sept. 20 and to supply water for various purposes for the remaining nine months. But it is doubtful if the corporation has followed the principle.”

Analysis of data on the corporation’s website shows that the five dams stored only 94 million tons of water, about 9 percent of 1,159 million tons that had flown into the reservoirs, during three rainy season last year. The corporation discharged the remaining 91 percent of water under the pretext of flood control.

From 2003 to 2007, the corporation stored 20 to 30 percent of the water that had flown into the reservoirs. But it drastically reduced water storage last year, when there was less rain. The Hapcheon and Namgang dams then discharged about 100 million tons of their stored water. The corporation said, “In case of Namgang Dam, we needed to hastily discharge large amounts of water as we expected torrential downpours last summer.”

Experts say the Nakdong River water shortage is the combined result of long-term drought and the corporation’s careless water management.

Source: Chosun