This year, rainfall in the upper Nakdong River region has reached only 70% of the average, prompting Andong and Imha dams to enter a drought alert phase. The government plans to reduce river maintenance water to conserve dam water reserves.
The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment announced on July 8 that as of 2 p.m., the Andong and Imha dams, which are multipurpose dams in the Nakdong River basin, have entered a drought alert phase.
This year, the two dams have received 330 mm of rain, which is 73% of the average 450 mm. The amount of water being released from the dams is more than double the inflow, with an average of 3.01 million tons being supplied daily while inflow is only 1.32 million tons.
Currently, the water storage level at the Andong and Imha dams is 670 million tons, which is 37% of their total capacity of 1.84 billion tons. The two dams operate as a single water supply system in the upper Nakdong River, and drought levels are assessed based on their combined storage.
The government will immediately reduce the amount of water released from the dams to secure water reserves. It plans to cut river maintenance water by up to 1.14 million tons per day and reduce agricultural water by up to 870,000 tons based on actual monthly usage. Additionally, water for environmental and water quality improvement by local governments will be reduced by up to 240,000 tons per day.
However, since reducing water supply may impact water use and quality in the lower Nakdong River region, the government will adjust supply flexibly based on local conditions. Local governments, regional environmental agencies, and flood control centers will monitor the situation in the lower river.
Song Ho-seok, the water resource policy director at the Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment, stated, "Some areas are experiencing less rainfall than usual, which could lead to an expansion of drought. We will implement dam water conservation measures without delay to ensure a stable water supply."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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