World experts have given a positive note on Korea’s water management system, expecting that the country’s hydro-related tech will be benchmarked worldwide.

Their views were vented when the nation hosted the 2012 World River Forum in Daegu in September, where top officials from 12 countries and six international organizations attended to learn Korea’s advanced hydro technology.

The global river forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the Office of National River Restoration.

Korea’s Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said that Korea was the only country around the world to have an integral river management system that covers weir construction, water retention and environmental protection for the rivers’ surroundings.

The attendees of the forum ― ministers and deputy ministers of government agencies that are in charge of water management ― have shown interest in Korea’s water management system since long before the forum took place, organizers said.

Nidal Salim, director of the Global Institute for Water Environment and Health and one of the opening speakers at the 2012 World River Forum, said that the four river restoration plan was a significant achievement

“The four river restoration project developed as a stimulus package to be seen as a global and regional answer to the 21st century’s major challenges,” Salim said.

“Natural resources can be seen as a capital asset belonging to a general portfolio, which is comprised of other assets and capital, including material, financial, human and social,” he said. “Managing this portfolio in a good and sustainable manner to maximize its returns and benefits over time is a good investment.”

Yale University professor of history Paul Kennedy, another of the opening speakers at the 2012 World River Forum, said that Korea’s water management skills were as advanced as other developed countries.

Kennedy said he thought international river experts had lots to bench-mark with the Korean restoration projects of Cheonggyecheon and the Four River. Through the four river restoration project, he said, Korea overcame water resource problems.

In 2012 World River Forum, participants declared they will adopt the 2012 World River Forum Initiative with a list of principles to ensure global cooperation and shared growth in integrated, sustainable water management.

Signed by the 12 water ministry leaders and six international organization heads, the initiative begins by stating that humankind and nature are compatible in water management.

The initiative also urges that all nations fight climate change by establishing partnerships specifically for an ecologically and technologically sustainable overall hydro management system. Prioritization of the water management issue is also included in the initiative.

Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Kwon Do-yup said, “the 2012 World River Forum is the world’s first global river forum where high-rank water experts from different countries and international organizations gathered to discuss the technology, culture and global cooperation of river management.”

“We demonstrated how our nation’s Four River Restoration Project could become the global model of water resource management,” he said.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)