Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Host “2026 World Water Day Commemorative Event”: Emphasizing Nakdong River Water Quality Improvement and Diversification of Water Intake Sources

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “2026 Busan World Water Day Commemorative Event” tomorrow (the 19th) at 2:00 PM at the BEXCO Convention Hall and outdoor plaza.

“World Water Day” (March 22) was designated at the 47th United Nations General Assembly in 1992 to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and to promote international cooperation in solving water-related issues.

This event has been organized to reaffirm the value of water and to discuss sustainable water management policy directions in response to the climate crisis.

Approximately 300 participants are expected to attend, including Seong Heui-yeob, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation, Kim Jwa-gwan, Chair of the Presidential National Water Management Commission, Choi So-nam, Representative of the Busan Citizens’ Network for Drinking Water, the Director General for Water Environment Policy at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Head of the Daegu Clean Water Highway Promotion Team, experts, and civic groups.

This year’s event will be conducted in two parts: Part 1, the commemorative ceremony, and Part 2, the forum.

In Part 1, the commemorative ceremony will include commemorative remarks, congratulatory speeches, a citizen performance expressing hopes for clean water, and a commemorative photo session.

In particular, during the citizen performance held at the BEXCO outdoor plaza, which is also the venue for the Water Korea event, a large banner measuring 12 meters in width and 10 meters in height will be displayed. Vice Mayor for Future Innovation Seong Heui-yeob and participating citizens will hold up the banner together to convey messages emphasizing the necessity of diversifying water intake sources and improving the water quality of the Nakdong River.

In Part 2, the forum will feature expert presentations and discussions on improving Nakdong River water quality and diversifying water intake sources.

The forum will include presentations on measures to improve the water quality of the Nakdong River by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and on strategies for diversifying water intake sources by Professor Maeng Seung-gyu of Sejong University.

Following the presentations, an in-depth discussion will be held, moderated by Professor Dokgo Seok of Dankook University, focusing on securing stable water intake sources for Busan and improving the water quality of the Nakdong River.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to continue promoting policies for diversifying water intake sources and improving the water quality of the Nakdong River in order to establish a water supply system that citizens can safely rely on for drinking water.

To this end, the city will strengthen cooperation with the central government, the National Assembly, and local governments within the river basin, while also pursuing innovation in water policy, including industrial water supply reform and expanded water reuse.

Seong Heui-yeob, Vice Mayor for Future Innovation, stated, “The minimum standard demanded by citizens is not water that can merely be purified, but water that is clean from the source. Without fundamental improvement in the water quality of the Nakdong River, Busan’s water issues cannot be resolved.”

He added, “Diversifying water intake sources and improving the water quality of the Nakdong River are not issues limited to Busan but are national water security challenges. We hope the government will take proactive steps by implementing strong basin-wide water management policies and providing institutional support, and we will work together with citizens to secure clean water.”