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Climate Change Increases the Risk of Harmful Algal Blooms… Busan Metropolitan City Strengthens Algae Warning System for Proactive Response

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Busan Metropolitan City, under Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that it will implement the “2026 Algae Warning System Operation Plan” to minimize damage caused by increasingly frequent algal blooms during the summer season and to create a safe water-use environment for citizens.

The plan was designed with a focus on strengthening proactive response systems for water source areas and waterfront zones, as large-scale proliferation of harmful cyanobacteria is expected in the lower Nakdong River due to increased heatwave days and rising water temperatures caused by climate change.

In fact, algae warnings were issued for a total of 194 days last year at the Mulgeum and Maeri sites. Following the first “Caution” alert issued in late May, prolonged algal bloom conditions continued throughout the summer as warnings escalated to the “Warning” level due to heatwaves and reduced rainfall.

• ●Warning periods: 196 days in 2022, 146 days in 2023, and 160 days in 2024

First, the City will strengthen the criteria for issuing algae warnings. For the Samnak and Hwamyeong Water Leisure Sports Towns, which are waterfront recreation areas frequently visited by citizens, the City will implement a “Strengthened Algae Warning System” that simultaneously considers cyanobacteria cell counts and algal toxin concentrations.

Beginning this year, if algal toxin concentrations of 20 micrograms per liter (㎍/L) or higher are detected at the Samnak and Hwamyeong Water Leisure Sports Towns, a “Warning” alert will be issued, along with recommendations to prohibit waterfront activities such as fishing, swimming, and water sports in order to enhance public safety management.

The City will also actively promote measures to reduce algal blooms in connection with the “Seasonal Algal Bloom Management System” led by the Ministry of Climate and Energy Environment.

The “Seasonal Algal Bloom Management System” is being implemented for the first time this year and will operate through October 15. The system aims to fundamentally reduce the causes of algal blooms and prevent damage by managing phosphorus discharge sources from domestic life, livestock farming, and agriculture in advance through central, watershed, and weir-based task forces. When algal blooms occur, related ministries, local governments, and relevant organizations will jointly respond.

During this period, Busan Metropolitan City plans to focus on ensuring safety in drinking water and waterfront activities by strengthening water quality monitoring, managing pollution sources, and implementing safety measures in waterfront areas to minimize damage caused by algal blooms.

In addition, the City will strengthen its inter-agency cooperative response system. A step-by-step algae warning response framework will be operated in cooperation with eight institutions, including the Busan Water Authority, Busan Nakdong River Project Management Office, Busan Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment, and autonomous district offices.

The Busan Water Authority plans to strengthen monitoring of algal toxins and odor-causing substances in raw and treated water while expanding water purification processes such as powdered activated carbon injection and enhanced ozone treatment to ensure the safe supply of tap water.

In addition, Korea Water Resources Corporation plans to operate algae removal vessels near the Mulgeum and Maeri intake facilities according to algae warning conditions in order to remove harmful algal blooms.

In waterfront recreation areas, the City will actively inform citizens through banners, public announcements, and patrols to refrain from or avoid prohibited activities such as fishing, swimming, and water sports.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City plans to hold a meeting with related organizations within this month to share algae response measures and institutional roles, while continuously inspecting the operation status of algae removal vessels from July through October.

By 2028, the City also plans to install a selective intake tower capable of drawing water from different depths at the Mulgeum Intake Plant area in order to fundamentally block the inflow of harmful cyanobacteria.

Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk stated, “As the risk of algal blooms continues to grow due to climate change, we will further strengthen proactive and scientific response systems so that citizens can safely use tap water and enjoy waterfront activities with peace of mind.”