K-water ESG : Water, Nature and Humankind

K-water ESG
K-water works with local communities
to make better use of rivers with
citizens’ participation
K-water creates new values by integrating ecology and culture into river basins, while citizens volunteer to maintain and manage
these river basins that are being transformed into ‘spaces for citizens’. Rivers have now emerged as new attractions that bring ecology,
culture and tourism together, resuscitating new life into local communities and creating jobs.
Written by Choi Haeng-jwa Source K-water

River ecological and cultural exploration programs

K-water works with local communities to develop and implement joint projects that utilize ecological·cultural resources around rivers, in a bid to invigorate local communities and create jobs. A case in point are ‘the ecological and cultural exploration programs that center around Gapcheon basin(Gapcheon, Yudeungcheon and Daejeoncheon).’
The three national streams run through Daejeon Metropolitan City’s downtown area, and are called Gapcheon, Yudeungcheon and Daejeoncheon. These streams have been at the center of the city’s history of growth and people’s everyday life, and have characteristics of both natural and urban streams.
Following the introduction of the integrated water management system, K-water has suggested new ways of utilizing rivers in its projects to create new values based on water and first-class rivers and streams. In those projects, K-water intended to discover ecological and cultural values of rivers, and present new models of rivers as a cultural space, based on these values. Furthermore, pilot projects have been launched with the aim of creating added value out of rivers with citizens’ participation and virtuous cycle-driven models that contribute to the development of local communities. Stories have been created with the theme of ‘Best streams where lights and life flow’ for the three major streams in Daejeon City.
K-water developed citizen-participatory models of river uses based on the stories, and created the three rivers exploration programs in a bid to raise public awareness of local rivers and help invigorate local communities. To this end, K-water, the city of Daejeon, the Daejeon Tourism Organization and civic groups formed a cooperation network on a local problem-solving platform.

Citizens get involved in designing programs to contribute to reinvigorating local communities and creating new jobs

K-water worked together with citizens and experts through a local problem-solving platform to design and operate experiential programs so as to promote an appreciation and understanding of rivers in Daejeon.
First, an advisory group of citizens who were interested in rivers was formed to formulate ways to utilize rivers. K-water and the advisory group visited rivers, and held a service design workshop at which they explored future models of rivers and discussed ideas on experiential programs. Based on ideas on river programs contributed by citizens and the stories of the three major rivers in Daejeon, K-water, jointly with local cultural groups and youth enterprises participating through the problem-solving platform, developed and operated experiential programs. They adopted the integrated brand ‘BanapDaeYu’ for these programs, short for Gapcheon, Daejeoncheon and Yudeungcheon, and developed three exploration courses featuring each of the three rivers as follows: △Gapcheon: ‘Hello, Mihojonggae?’ ; a program designed to allow visitors to learn about the local ecology with a focus on mihojongae or Miho spine loach(designated as natural monument No. 454) and the history of the villages in the area; △Daejeoncheon ‘Solo or Duo, walking along Daejeoncheon’ ; the first audio docent program for a river tour featuring the modern history of Daejeon and local lifestyle; and △Yudeungcheon ‘Take a Stroll, and Meet Confucian Scholars’ ; where participants learn about vegetation in Yudeungcheon and the spirit of Confucian scholars of the Joseon dynasty with a focus on willows and Yuheoidang near Yudeungcheon. The program was well-received by citizens with their active participation, while promising young artists in Daejeon got actively involved in the program, creating a sustainable foundation. By collecting and reflecting opinions from citizens on the development and operation of the program, it has presented a roadmap for rivers that actively involve local citizens in the process of transforming them into sustainable natural resources.
K-water has successfully developed and operated river exploration programs by working closely with local communities, in a bid to provide a river-based, Bottom-Up business model that caters to citizens’ participation. These programs also contribute to reinvigorating local communities around rivers and creating jobs. K-water plans to introduce the ecology and cultural promotion business model geared to all river basins.