Save Wetlands in South Korea: Haepyeong Wetland under threat from the 4 Rivers Project

2009-11-10

Haepyeong Wetland under threat from the 4 Rivers Project

The Haepyeong Wetland is a riparian wetland along the Nakdong River. It is an important staging sites for 20-70% of the global population of Hooded Crane Grus monacha and 10% of White-naped Crane Grus vipio.

The Nakdong River will be affected the most from the 4 Rivers Restoration Projects of South Korean Government. The river will damaged from heavy dredging of 440 million cubic meters of sediments from the 330 kilometer long section of the river from its mouth by 2011. There are plans to build more than 8 dams of 10 to 13 meters high on its mainstream and a couple more on its tributaries. As a result of the project, depth of the mainstream of the Nakdong River will be maintained more than 6 meters deep.

Though, government of South Korea maintains that they will not dredge sediments in the Haepyeong Wetland and to protect it, how can the wetland and its sand bars survice such a massive dredging right upstream and downstream. It is just a nonsense to protect the wetland when the 4 Rivers Restoration Project starts.

We are about to lose the natural beauty and ecological character of the Haepyeong Wetland.
And, we might not be able to see the beautiful birds and the wetland any more.