Busan is good

Nakdong River Project Management Office Signs MOU for Restoration of Bird Habitats

내용

Busan Metropolitan City’s Nakdong River Project Management Office (hereinafter referred to as “the Office”) announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the nonprofit environmental organization Birds Korea (Director: Nial Moores) at 2:30 p.m. on July 29 at the Nakdong Estuary Eco Center to restore bird habitats and promote biodiversity.

Birds Korea is a nonprofit organization aiming to restore the ecological integrity of the Maekdo Ecological Park area within the Nakdong River Estuary. The organization primarily engages in research and educational activities focused on conserving natural habitats, including those of birds and wetlands, and enhancing biodiversity.

The MOU outlines joint efforts to: ▲ promote ecological restoration based on biodiversity; ▲ manage major wintering grounds for migratory birds; ▲ operate citizen-participatory environmental education programs; and ▲ establish a sustainable monitoring system.

Through this agreement and subsequent projects, Birds Korea expects to make meaningful contributions at the local, national, and international levels toward the conservation of bird species and their habitats, as well as the reversal of biodiversity loss.

The Office expects this agreement to not only restore the area as a key wintering habitat for migratory birds but also to transform the restoration site into a participatory space co-created with citizens.

Moving forward, the Office will provide administrative support, review restoration plans, and conduct public outreach, while Birds Korea will take on roles such as developing restoration plans and monitoring.

In particular, ecological restoration efforts such as planting native species and removing invasive species will be carried out at Maekdo Ecological Park within the Nakdong River Estuary. These efforts aim to establish a "self-sustaining ecosystem without human intervention." Accordingly, the park is expected to be restored as a core habitat for various wintering bird species, including the globally protected Greater White-fronted Goose, a flagship migratory species of the Nakdong River Estuary.

Meanwhile, this MOU was initiated following Birds Korea's participation in the Society for Ecological Restoration’s (SER) Standards-based Ecological Restoration in Action program. The program is jointly operated with Microsoft to reduce environmental impacts and restore ecosystems in local communities where Microsoft data centers are located.

Birds Korea was officially selected for the Standards-based Ecological Restoration in Action program by SER on May 25, 2025. Based on this selection, the organization has signed the MOU with the Office and plans to implement specific projects for ecosystem restoration.

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is a global organization of more than 5,000 ecological restoration professionals and institutions across over 130 countries, committed to scientifically grounded restoration and sustainable ecosystem recovery.

Bethanie Walder, Executive Director of SER, stated, “This partnership offers an opportunity for local organizations and citizens to participate in ecological restoration, and Microsoft’s involvement is a meaningful example of promoting sustainability.”

Microsoft, a leading global IT company, is implementing a “Community Environmental Sustainability Program” as part of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management. The program supports ecological restoration and community-based environmental improvement projects in regions near its data centers worldwide.

Tianji Dickens, Head of Community Engagement for Microsoft Northeast Asia, commented, “This restoration project is an excellent example of global cooperation for sustainability and biodiversity conservation. We will support scientific assessment and sustainable implementation throughout the restoration process.”

Kim Kyung-hee, Director of the Busan Nakdong River Project Management Office, stated, “This agreement marks an important milestone in addressing the global challenge of biodiversity conservation at the local level,” adding, “We will create a model case that draws international attention through public-private collaboration.”