Students from Gwangju, South Korea, have drawn attention by proposing a so-called 'third option for coexistence' that addresses both the ecological conservation of the Yeongsan River and local development.
The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced that the second student environmental forum, part of the 'Path of Coexistence (Waterway and Forest Path) Project,' was held on November 12 at the Jeonnam Creative Convergence Education Center.
The forum, themed '2050 Yeongsan River Time Slip: A Letter from the Future,' attracted over 150 participants, including 20 student clubs recognized for their outstanding activities in the coexistence project, teachers, and representatives from environmental organizations.
This event aimed to allow students to examine environmental issues related to the Yeongsan River and explore ways to achieve both ecosystem conservation and local development.
The discussions began with a keynote speech from a researcher at the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office, followed by a panel involving ten participants, including elementary, middle, and high school students and their teachers.
Students envisioned the Yeongsan River in 2050 and presented opinions from various stakeholders, including ecological conservation, local development, and community livelihoods, while discussing realistic solutions.
Notably, the students focused on finding alternatives that do not treat environmental conservation and local development as mutually exclusive but rather as complementary goals.
The 'third option for coexistence' proposed by the students includes: smart variable sluice operations that link agricultural water supply with water quality management during ecological migration periods; the creation of eco-friendly ecological trails; and youth entrepreneurship initiatives that connect environmental conservation with local economic revitalization.
The smart sluice operation aims to consider both agricultural water supply and ecological management, while the eco-friendly trails are suggested as a means to preserve the natural environment while utilizing it as a local tourism resource.
The youth entrepreneurship initiative seeks to integrate information technology into solving environmental issues, creating new local economic activities.
A mobile vote conducted during the event showed that 58% of participants prioritized ecological considerations, while 42% emphasized community development.
Although opinions favoring environmental conservation were slightly more prevalent, there was also significant support for local development, highlighting the importance of finding a balance between the two values.
During a Q&A session, students worked to understand differing perspectives and narrow their differences, exploring possibilities for coexistence.
The first part of the event included a presentation of the achievements from the past year of the Path of Coexistence Project. Three top-performing clubs from elementary, middle, and high schools shared their best practices, and awards were presented to 20 outstanding clubs, including 17 with the Superintendent's Award and three with the Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office Award.
The venue showcased 28 excellent entries from a project character contest, short videos on carbon neutrality practices, and examples of ecological conservation efforts from various schools, highlighting students' diverse environmental activities.
The event concluded with a joint declaration by all attendees to commit to responding to the climate crisis and promoting sustainable development in their communities.
Kim Dae-jung, the Superintendent of Education, stated, “This forum served as a meaningful platform for youth to resolve diverse perspectives in the community through scientific and rational dialogue, contributing to ecological transition education. We will continue to actively support future generations in becoming ecological citizens who lead sustainable coexistence between the environment and the community.”
There is also interest in how the proposals made by students during this forum can be integrated into local environmental policies and educational activities. Continuous collaboration with relevant agencies will be necessary to develop students' ideas into concrete action plans.
Meanwhile, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education supports students in exploring the local natural environment and learning the importance of responding to the climate crisis and ecological transition through the Path of Coexistence Project. This forum further emphasized that students view environmental issues not merely as academic subjects but as challenges that the community must address together.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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