Loud chants, but poor substance remains

I hope the land policy and budget are created to protect public safety.

Kwon Young-sang

The author is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Seoul National University. This year is no exception for flood disasters. Heavy rains of more than 400 millimeters (18 inches) to 500mm a day poured across the country, causing massive casualties and property damages. A massive landslide in North Gyeongsang caused casualties, and 14 people were killed in flooding on the Osong underpass in Cheongju, North Chungcheong. The fact that the spaces in everyday life may turn into a life-threatening one makes the people nervous.

It is not just this summer. Last year, nine residents drowned in the water which suddenly flowed into the apartment complex next to the Naengcheon Stream in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, where Typhoon Hinnamno hit and 342㎜ of rains poured for seven hours. In Seoul, apartment complexes and roads in Gangnam District were flooded due to the worst-ever torrential rain, temporarily paralyzing urban functions.

Although the damage from torrential rains is repeated every year, countermeasures have been superficial. When heavy rains in July and August cause major damage, it is often forgotten by October, when the budget for the following year is completed. While rain damages occur each year, it is hard to find different measures. You can read last year’s newspaper and find the same water damage, just in different regions.

Of course, there are countermeasures. Infrastructure facilities for disaster prevention are often created based on precipitation that can occur over a certain period of time, such as the frequency of 30 years and the frequency of 100 years. But the existing rainfall frequency standards are now meaningless. Since torrential rain hits in a very short time, even if urban infrastructure is built in consideration of the total capacity, flood prevention based on the existing standard is limited. The effects of climate change have already come true.

Climate disasters take place right in front of our eyes, but the ongoing urban development still lacks countermeasures. Large-scale apartment reconstruction and redevelopment sites are grand and splendid on the surface. As the parking lots are built in the basements, however, underground space for drainage and rainwater storage in preparation for torrential rain is insufficient. Hence, high-end apartments in Gangnam, which cost millions of dollars, were completely flooded.

In order to prevent flood damage, reservoirs should be built underground and rainwater pipelines should be expanded. However, the public sector has to take the burdens. Fortunately, Seoul City has encouraged constructors to install underground rainwater detention tank in the recent reconstruction plan of the city, which could be a win-win case of public and private joint efforts.

In addition, when building a new apartment complex, decades-old trees are always cut down, and cheap, young trees are planted, despite their low capacity to absorb rainwater. Sometimes, good-looking pine trees are planted, but they are inevitably vulnerable to such torrential rains.

Then, how should we prepare for it? First, there is a need for practical climate change measures that can make people’s lives safer rather than loud slogans. The recent rain pattern shows a heavy, concentrated downpour of hundreds of millimeters in a short period of time. Therefore, the existing safety standards should be checked completely. Measures should be taken to significantly improve the performance of the land and infrastructure such as roads and rivers.

Second, it is necessary to build a resilient city in accordance with safety standards, not just an urban space that looks spectacular. The experts who point out safety issues may be annoying. But experts should have the conviction to prioritize public safety.

People regret it when a disaster occurs, but budget and policy for prevention cannot be found. When an accident is prevented with proper preparation, it does not make news — and people naturally do not know about it. So much of the budget has been wasted as it was invested in more notable areas than safety. Korea can become a truly developed country when such fundamentals are strong. I hope the land policy and budget are created to protect public safety and happiness more than anything else.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.