1. Voluntary agreement versus regulation: the case of the Daepho River
2. Water Quality Improvement of the Geumho River and the Nakdong River
3. Ecological Restoration Project of Sincheon River

1. Voluntary agreement versus regulation: the case of the Daepho River

The Daepho River is a 9 km-long stream flowing into the Nakdong River just upstream of the Mulgeum reservoir, which is a drinking water source for Busan, Korea's largest port. Until the early 1970s, the Daepho could still be used as a source of potable water without treatment. From then on, water quality became increasingly impaired due to wastewater discharges from: 10 village (4300 people), 500 small factories, livestock enterprises (30000 pigs) and 100 restaurants (all located in the Daepho catchment). By 1997, BOD levels exceeded 4.5mg/L and the river did not even meet Class III water quality standard.

In February 1997, the local authority of Sangdong Township, Gimhae City drew up a water management plan and announced its intention to designate the area as a water source protection area in order to protect the water quality of the Mulgeum Reservoir. The plan prompted protests from local residents who feared the regulations would stifle their economic opportunities. As the authorities explained the objectives of the plan, however, a consensus emerged that improving the water quality of the Daepho would benefit the local population as well as the citizens of Busan. There was also an agreement that if local residents could manage to revive the river, they could ask the government to reconsider the designation of water source protection area.

As a result, the residents formed a "task force for water quality improvement" and launched a drive to voluntarily clean up the river. Each household contributed KRW 2000~3000 every month to raise a KRW 30 million fund. Women's associations in each village organised campaigns to save water (including a ban on washing cars at home) and to reduce the use of detergents. The Gimhae city council installed settling tanks for every household and restaurant so as to prevent food wastes from running into the river. The task force appointed two paid monitors as well as three river watchdog groups (18 persons) for each watershed who patrolled day and night to prevent illegal discharges from livestock enterprises and factories. Livestock enterprises installed pre-treatment facilities and began sending remaining waste to animal waste treatment plants. The task force also mechanically cleaned up the river and removed livestock wastes deposited on the riverbed. Weekly clean-ups were organised in areas around enterprises located close to the river. Artificial wetlands were planted with parsley dropwort to filter domestic waste water outflows before effluents reached the river.

Within a year, these efforts managed to improve the water quality of the Daepho to Class I (in terms of BOD). The previously cloudy water turned clear, enabling crayfish, endangered shellfish and other fish to return. The task force continued its efforts and, when visiting the area in November1999, the Minister of Environment pledged to put off the water source protection area designation as long as the water quality in the Daepho continues to be better than that of the main river, the Nakdong.

The arrangement was formalised in April 2002 when, for the first time in Korea, Sangdong residents (i.e. chief of township, task force, housewives, civil society, enterprises), the Minister, the provincial Governor and the Mayor of Gimhae entered into a voluntary agreement in which, among other things, residents committed themselves to maintaining Class ‡T water quality in the Daepho in return for the government's agreeing to defer the designation of water source protection area and the implementation of the Total Pollution Load Management System. The local residents plan to continue and expand their efforts. Sangdong township is aiming to become, by 2010, an "environmentally friendly agricultural district" where the use of agricultural chemicals is minimal and livestock waste is used as liquid or solid fertiliser. To maintain interest, a festival and academic event are staged every year.

2. Water Quality Improvement of the Geumho River and the Nakdong River

The source of water for millions of residents in the Yeongnam area, Nakdong River and the Geumho River urgently needed water quality improvements in the early 1980s. Subsequently, the city of Daegu invested 1.2235 trillion won from 1983 to 2000 to build four sewage treatment plants, including the Sincheon sewage treatment plant that is able to treat 100% of the sewage generated in Daegu with the daily capacity of 1.77 million cubic meters. As a result, the BOD of the Geumho River fell from 111mg/l in 1984 to 5.2mg/l in 2001. Nakdong River also registered an improvement in the BOD from 21.1mg/l in 1988 to 4.3mg/l in 2001. Used to be the rivers of death for many fish, the two rivers are now resurrected as rivers of life, where migratory birds nest and citizens enjoy fishing. When an advanced sewage treatment facility is completed in 2002, the water quality of the Geumho River and the Nakdong River will be upgraded to the Grade II. The fact that it took only about 15 years to restore a dead river is astonishing in that it took the Thames River of England 144 years and Japan's Dama River in Tokyo 23 years to improve the water quality. Thanks to this notable achievement, the Daegu government received the highest rating among the 165 local government bodies judged in the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management hosted by the Ministry of Environment in 2000.

3. Ecological Restoration Project of Sincheon River

Sincheon River which meanders through the Daegu downtown area was dying due to the remains of excessive waste water generated by the rapid economic development and population explosion of the 1960s. However, the Sincheon River was restored to its former condition with abundant clear water, thanks to the construction of rainwater and waste water separation facility that prevented domestic sewage from entering the River. About 100,000 tons of treated water from the separation facility and the Sincheon sewage treatment plant at the Sincheon downstream area were diverted backward to the Sandonggyo point everyday, about 9.3 kilometers upstream of Sincheon.

Moreover, fourteen rubber dams and six fountains were set up across and along the river, turning Sincheon into not only a clean river but also a place where people can enjoy the spectacles of fountain water shooting upto the sky. The River adds beauty to the cityscape and gives refreshing sensation to citizens. Grass and trees are planted along the 418,000m² of riverside, and the jogging and bicycle path along the river reaches 17.2 kilometers. Daegu citizens are thus afforded with a high quality of life where they can enjoy the soothing benefits of the clean environment.