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| K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon speaks during a Water Management Green New Deal Policy Symposium at Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Four of Korea's major water-related associations held the "Water Management Green New Deal Policy Symposium," Monday, to discuss the government's policy direction and implementation for the new goal.
The four associations ― the Korean Society of Water and Wastewater, the Korea Water Society, the Korean Society on Water Environment and the Korea Water Resources Association ― suggested specific action plans to achieve the goal of the project, after President Moon Jae-in vowed to include "green" industries in the Korean New Deal project, during the event at Glad Hotel on Yeouido, Seoul.
The project is aimed at lowering carbon emissions so that the country can combat global climate change threatening the survival of humankind. The government recently gained momentum for the new policy due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.
It said the Green New Deal policy will turn the looming economic crisis, and the deepening uncertainty in the coming post-COVID-19 era, into new opportunities for innovation, building a leading economy by creating sustainable job opportunities. The government's Green New Deal refers to the transition to a low-carbon, eco-friendly economy through green transformation of urban and living infrastructure, establishment of an ecosystem for innovation in green industries, and diffusion of low-carbon and distributed energy. Through this, the goal is to respond to climate change, create jobs and revitalize the economy.
During the symposium, Yoo Jong-il, dean of the Graduate School of International Policy at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), explained the circumstances both here and abroad during the virus pandemic, and introduced strategies for promoting the Green New Deal.
Under the theme of "Water Management and Green New Deal," Jeon Kyung-soo, president of Korea Water Resources Association, also explained how to actively respond to water disasters caused by climate change and establish and ecosystem for innovation in the water industry by strengthening links between water management facilities with smart technologies that incorporate digital innovation.
