President Chung Seung of Korea Rural Community Corp., right, inspects a water pipe line in South Jeolla Province on his tour of the drought stricken areas in the province where a number of officers and staff of KRC has been assigned to fight the dry spell in the weather. (Photo: KRC)

The Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC) has been working to strengthen large reservoirs to help the environment and boost the protection of rural areas from weather conditions such as drought and floods. The KRC wants to prepare for farm season and President Moon Jae-in’s presidency after he won the presidential election on May 9. 

The management of the large reservoirs in the country has become crucial now that climate change has started to cause problems, in agriculture in particular.

Arid areas in South Chungcheong Province and the West Coast have been expanding due to climate change, while over 100 mm-per-hour downpours in the rainy seasons have been doing a lot of damage to farms in some areas. President Chung Seung visited the Pyeongtaek Lake and the southern regions of the province to check on the projects to supply water to the regions that might have dry spell at the end of June with no rain forecast for the region during the period. A 1st stage project to lay large pipes for 17,000 tons of water daily from the lake is underway, with no rain forecast for through the end of June and not much rain expected in July.

The company said on May 18 that rainfall so far this year is about 40 percent lower than average, coming to 156 mm, and the water levels in the large reservoirs across the country are 85 percent of recent years’ average levels. The company provided pumps to supply water to farms in such areas as Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Seosan, Yesan, Hongsong, Boryeong, the areas in South Chungcheong Province where drought is feared, along with manpower to handle them. The company plans to secure some 2,472 square meters of water for 153 of the 3,394 reservoirs around the country where drought is feared to take hold so that they would be able to supply enough water for rice paddies in the region. The company also has permanent plans to ease drought problems for those farmlands that suffer from persistent drought due to climate change. The plans include diverting spare water and water in streams to those areas.

For those farm areas with abrupt rises in the need for water, the company plans to expand the water holding capacities of the existing reservoirs so that they can hold more water and supply them to those areas. 

The KRC is out to strengthen the safety management of agricultural infrastructure, including water reservoirs to prepare for floods, drought and earthquakes caused by climate change. Around 70 percent of 3,394 water reservoirs being managed by the KRC are more than 50 years old, with 341 of them located near residential communities and requiring check-ups, repairs and other maintenance work to protect the lives and properties of the residents there. 

The company also plans to complete work on strengthening the earthquake resistance systems in the reservoirs located close to towns and villages to allay the fears of the residents in those communities.

At the moment, the earthquake resistant facilities of 538 of 594 reservoirs that need to be designed have been completed, with the company out to finish the work on the remaining ones by next year. 

Agriculture is a life industry. It is a key focus of rural development and holds a high priority in reducing rural poverty. Increasing the security of food and the livelihoods of the people living in rural area is main concern. It is also important that the rural poor are well-educated and trained with the good technology to ensure the food security and to improve income level.