Abstract
This study aims to provide an opinion on the state-of-the-art of changes and reforms of water policies in South Korea, as well as the challenges along with their implications for sustainable water governance and management. In parallel with change in water resource characteristics generated by physical, environmental and socio-economic challenges such as: (1) uncertainties about climate change (flooding and drought) including seasonal and regional variation in precipitation; (2) significant increase in water use caused by rapid urbanization and population growth in industrialized urban areas; (3) inadequate water pricing mechanism which covers only around 80% of the production cost and makes it harder to maintain water systems; and (4) recursive water quality degradation and conflicts over water rights between regions resulting from non-point source pollution in highland versus lowland areas, Korean water policies have been developed through diverse reforms over 100 years. Nevertheless, new challenges for sustainable water management are continuously emerging. To meet those challenges we provide two ideas: (i) provider-gets-principle (payment for ecosystem services) of cost-benefit sharing among stakeholders who benefit from water use; and (ii) water pricing applying full-cost pricing-principle internalizing environmental externalities caused by the intensive water use. Funds secured from the application of those methods would facilitate: (1) support for upstream (rural) low income householders suffering from economic restrictions; (2) improvement in water facilities; and (3) efficient water use and demand management in South Korea’s water sectors. We expect that this paper can examine the lessons relevant to challenges that South Korea faces and offer some implications on the formulation of new integration and further reforms of the institutions, laws and organizations responsible for managing water resources in South Korea.
Highlights
Water systems are of vital importance for human well-being, providing many benefits to society in terms of water-related resources and services
Due to population pressure caused by the industrialization and urbanization as the major factors for the economic growth, agricultural intensification with high external inputs of agrochemicals has been promoted, leading to increasingly degraded water quality in many parts of the world [4], and climate change has increased spatial and temporal variations in water availability [5]
Increasing conflict associated with outdated or inadequate water allocation systems, and the need to consider the multiple interests of different water related stakeholders, coupled with the growing industrial, agricultural and urban demand for fresh water, are all driving an interest in water policy reform [21,22]
Summary
Water systems are of vital importance for human well-being, providing many benefits to society in terms of water-related resources and services. Due to population pressure caused by the industrialization and urbanization as the major factors for the economic growth, agricultural intensification with high external inputs of agrochemicals has been promoted, leading to increasingly degraded water quality in many parts of the world [4], and climate change has increased spatial and temporal variations in water availability [5]. South Korea, this paper reviews the evolution of contemporary water policies in the country and the challenges along with their policy implications. Increasing conflict associated with outdated or inadequate water allocation systems, and the need to consider the multiple interests of different water related stakeholders, coupled with the growing industrial, agricultural and urban demand for fresh water, are all driving an interest in water policy reform [21,22].
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