UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:	The Presidential Commission on Sustainable Development

Country:	Republic of Korea

Name of Focal Point:	Ms. Byuong-Og Cho

Initiative Title:	Comprehensive Water Quality Management and Watershed Management

Internet links:

Scope:

Status:

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Stakeholders/Partners:

Relevent issues:	- Integrated Water Resource Management

Objectives/Challenges:

To improve water quality management and watershed management

Lessons Learned:

One of the most difficult challenges faced was resolving the conflicting interests of the various stakeholders. It took more than five years to prepare the special laws that serve as the solution to our above-mentioned case study on the four major rivers in the Republic of Korea.

From this case we learned that when the interests of two stakeholders are contradictory, it is desirable to select a policy that either creates a compromise between their interests or satisfies both of their interests.

For example, in order to satisfy both the upstream residents who wished to develop the riverside for land use and the downstream residents who wished to conserve the riverside for clean water, the cost for the conservation of the upstream riverside was levied on those living in the downstream areas. The cost of conservation is provided by Water Use Charges and Watershed Management Funds.

Summary:

- Adoption of Total Pollution Load Management System
- Introduction of Water Use Charges and Watershed Management Funds (as based on the user-pays principle)

Some elements of the impact can be summarized as follows: -Preservation of water quality
-Peaceful resolution of conflict
-Provision of necessary support for upstream residents