March 11, 2008
Saemangeum
A couple of weeks ago we were watching Thalassa - a French TV show reporting on lives and cultures around the world, with a focus on the sea - and watched a report on South Korea.
During the 1970’s, South Korea’s economy was largely based on agriculture. The GNP was about the same as Ghana and the military government was looking for a way to turn their agrarian country into an industrial power. Their plan involved damming an area at the mouths of the Dongjin and Mangyeong rivers, along the coast of the Yellow Sea.
The plan was approved internally in the 1980s, and in 1991 construction began on a 33 kilometer long dam of concrete and steel. You can make it out in the picture over there. When completed, the dam would drain this huge tidal flat and reclaim about 400 km2) of the coast.
The Seoul Government’s reasoning was that with about 30,000 hectares of prime farmland lost to creeping urbanisation each year, it needed to create more agricultural land. The irony is that since the mid 1990s the country has consistently recorded an annual rice surplus of nearly two million tonnes. Improved rice varieties and changing dietary habits have led to a glut rather than a shortage.
More recent plans have called for commercial development along the lines of what is seen in Dubai. The only problem is these tidal flats were an important part of the 24,000 km migration of some 400,000 shorebirds, including several endangered species. Not only that, about 25,000 people depending on these tidal flats for their livelihoods for fishing and other recreational activities.
The US$2.3 billion scheme is also devastating the local fishing and shellfish collecting communities living between the Mangyeung and Tongjin rivers on the West Coast. The tidal flats form a significant part of the Yellow Sea Eco-region that is vital for 158 fish species as well for crabs and sea-weeds.
The Shellfish gatherers had no idea of the impact of a dyke that will enclose 400 square kilometres of the mudflat. 72 year old Kim Yeon-Ok has made a living collecting shellfish since she was a girl. She told Earth Report: “We got 80,000Won [US$7,500] compensation…but we didn’t realize it would block the sea.”
The construction of the seawall has caused controversy since it was announced, mobilizing environmental and religious groups around the country - leading up to a challenge in the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, these proved to be mere speed bumps, and the project has continued.
The report we saw on TV has some moving video of the protests: picture a line of people - 2 wide and thousands long - led by a group of representatives from several different religions taking two steps, kneeling down and lying prostrate on the ground, then getting up and doing it again, over and over, on their way to the capitol. It was heartening to see that this country came together to reject this damaging project, and it is unfortunate that they were unable to stop it.
At this time the project is nearing completion, and proposals for investments and construction in the area have already begun. It is too late to undo any of the damage that has already been done, and I suspect that few people will ever know the story behind “the next Dubai” - but I think it is important for people to be aware.
In 10 years when we are being sent photos of shiny new billion-dollar hotels and resorts along the coast of South Korea - we should know what the real cost was.
You can read more by following these links:
TVE Earth Report
Infometrics
Answers.com
Posted by Aaron on March 11, 2008, 8:34 am permalink top | general
I find it sad that they would destroy natural habitat for more farmland, especially if they have more food than in the past! It will not be long before this planet becomes a series of hotels with nobody left to go sleep in them.