The golden fields signal the harvest season, marking a precious time for farmers as their hard work and patience yield results.
However, the agricultural environment has become increasingly challenging. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts, once considered rare, are now a recurring reality. Ensuring a stable supply of agricultural water has become a critical foundation for responding to the climate crisis, extending beyond mere farming support.
The Korea Rural Community Corporation's Yeongsan River Project supplies agricultural water to a total of 18,382 hectares of farmland, including 12,123 hectares in Haenam, 4,521 hectares in Muan, 1,319 hectares in Hampyeong, and 419 hectares in Yeongam.
To reliably provide the necessary water for these vast agricultural lands, the project manages a water supply network that spans 338 kilometers and oversees three lakes: Yeongsan Lake, Yeongam Lake, and Geumho Lake.
These lakes are vital water resources for agriculture in the southwestern coast and serve as essential infrastructure for responding to climate disasters.
During droughts, they supply the necessary agricultural water, while in heavy rainfall, they manage lake levels and drainage gates to minimize damage to farmland and surrounding areas.
Managing agricultural water involves more than just channeling water through the supply network. It requires continuous monitoring of lake and channel conditions to ensure that the right amount of water reaches the right places at the right time. Both water levels and quality, as well as the condition of facilities, must be meticulously managed to enable stable farming.
In particular, the areas of Haenam, Muan, Hampyeong, and Yeongam have extensive reclaimed farmland, making reliable water supply and systematic water quality management even more crucial.
The Yeongsan River Project takes these regional characteristics into account, continuously inspecting key lakes, channels, and drainage gates while managing agricultural water according to weather conditions and farming needs.
Listening to farmers' voices on the ground is also essential. Even the best-equipped facilities cannot fulfill their roles if they do not align with the realities of agricultural practices. Creating a cooperative system where the corporation and farmers work together to conserve and efficiently use water is a significant challenge in the era of climate crisis.
Future water management must become more sophisticated.
As climate change makes it increasingly difficult to predict rainfall amounts and timing, it is necessary to move away from relying solely on past experiences and strengthen scientific management systems that utilize data and information communication technology.
The Yeongsan River Project plans to continue maintaining aging agricultural infrastructure while expanding smart water management systems using ICT to enhance the efficiency of water supply and disaster response capabilities.
The direction for future agricultural water management should be to supply sufficient water where needed while minimizing unnecessary water loss.
Above all, agricultural water is a precious public resource that sustains farmers' livelihoods and the nation's food supply.
We must not forget that every drop of water from the 338 kilometers of waterways and the lakes of Yeongsan, Yeongam, and Geumho is connected to the farmers' annual harvest.
As the harvest season concludes, the time to prepare for the next planting season is approaching. Even after the harvest, there can be no rest in managing and maintaining agricultural infrastructure.
The Korea Rural Community Corporation's Yeongsan River Project will continue to seek answers on the ground and listen to farmers' voices to build a stronger agricultural production base in response to the climate crisis.
Ensuring that farmers can focus on their work without worrying about water and providing a stable supply of water to the fields of the southwestern coast under any climate conditions is the mission of the Yeongsan River Project and the future of agriculture we must protect.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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