Five Dams Proceed, Nine Scrapped Amid Climate Change

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment finalized the construction of five dams out of 14 ‘climate response dam’ candidate sites proposed by the previous administration. Amid frequent extreme rainfall and droughts exceeding past design standards due to climate change, the government effectively abandoned nine of the originally planned new water storage projects.

On the 27th, the ministry confirmed plans to proceed with dam construction at five locations: Jicheon Dam (Cheongyang and Buyeo, South Chungcheong), Amicheon Dam (Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi), Byeongyeongcheon Dam (Gangjin, South Jeolla), Hwaya River Dam (Ulsan), and Gohyeoncheon Dam (Geoje, South Gyeongsang).

Earlier, the government canceled seven of the 14 candidate sites and reviewed the remaining seven, assessing both dam construction and alternative measures. After evaluation, five sites were deemed to lack viable alternatives to dams. The remaining Gamcheon Dam (Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang) and Garyecheon Dam (Hamyeong, South Gyeongsang) will be replaced by utilizing existing dams, reservoirs, and river maintenance projects.

The ministry initially selected the 14 sites after a 2-year, 4-month review of flood- and drought-prone regions nationwide. However, controversy arose when Minister Kim Sung-whan canceled seven projects within two months of taking office after a change in administration. Critics questioned whether sufficient technical reviews were conducted before scrapping dams deemed necessary for climate crisis response.

The five surviving sites are regions that have repeatedly suffered major flood damage or where existing reservoirs were deemed insufficient to handle extreme rainfall. A notable example is Jicheon Dam. In 2022, Cheongyang and Buyeo experienced up to 95 mm of hourly rainfall, causing the Jicheon embankment to collapse. Property damage totaled 51.5 billion Korean won (25.1 billion in Cheongyang, 26.4 billion in Buyeo). The following year, 335 mm of daily rainfall flooded the river and breached embankments, resulting in 66.9 billion Korean won in damages (31.2 billion in Cheongyang, 35.7 billion in Buyeo). The 2023 rainfall was classified as a ‘500-year frequency’ extreme event. Dam construction was only pursued after these consecutive disasters.

Yeoncheon, where Amicheon Dam will be built, is a chronically flood-prone area. It suffered major damage in 1996, 1999, 2007, 2011, and 2020. As part of the Imjin River basin bordering North Korea, rapid water level rises during upstream rainfall have long necessitated improved flood response capabilities.

Gangjin, site of Byeongyeongcheon Dam, faces alternating floods and droughts. Byeongyeong-myeon was designated a special disaster zone in 2012, 2021, and 2024 due to heavy rains. Conversely, droughts have led to water rationing. The existing Homgol Reservoir, over 50 years old with a safety grade of C, cannot adequately store water for floods or supply during droughts.

Ulsan’s Hwaya River Dam project follows repeated flooding during typhoons like Gladys, Chaba, Maysak, and Haishen, which caused billions of won in damages. The city is currently conducting river maintenance in the Hwaya River area.

Gohyeoncheon Dam in Geoje aims to create a new water storage facility upstream of the city center. Gohyeoncheon, which flows through central Geoje, has repeatedly flooded downstream areas and caused urban inundation during heavy rains. Even after recent extreme rainfall exceeding 400 mm per day, the lower reaches of Gohyeoncheon faced flooding risks, making it difficult to abandon the project.

For Gamcheon and Garyecheon Dams, the government concluded that existing infrastructure could suffice. Gamcheon will rely on the nearby Gimcheon Buhang Dam and river maintenance to secure water supply and flood control. However, critics argue that river maintenance—focused on swiftly channeling floodwater downstream—cannot fully replace dams, which store water to regulate flood volume.

Garyecheon Dam will utilize water from the nearby agricultural Gamije Reservoir. The key challenge is whether this can match the dam’s water supply capacity during severe droughts. While maintaining agricultural demand, additional needs for residential and industrial use must be met, and prolonged droughts could reduce reservoir levels, limiting available water.

Experts emphasize that extreme rainfall exceeding historical statistical models, such as Geoje’s recent deluge, necessitates rethinking flood management. While no single dam can prevent all disasters, reducing water storage and flood-control infrastructure amid climate change-driven extreme weather raises concerns. There are calls for rigorous verification of how effectively river maintenance and existing reservoirs can replicate dams’ dual functions of flood containment and drought mitigation.