Contingency Plans Eyed for Unusual Weather Conditions
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The government plans to set up measures to cope with climate change this year as Northeast Asia is being exposed to growing risks of natural disasters as a result of global warming, officials said Friday.
The Office of Prime Minister Han Seung-soo convened a meeting of related ministries on Tuesday to discuss ways of tackling the possible impact global climate change will have on the country's environment and economy. Higher temperatures are expected this summer, raising the possibility of the outbreak of epidemics and unusual weather conditions, government officials said.
``Top priority will be placed on protecting the people's health and setting up effective contingency plans against possible disasters,'' a spokesman of the office said.
The government has instructed provincial governments to check and improve water facilities to prevent possible floods in summer. It also called for measures to tackle warmer weather, saying it may cause severe power shortages.
``We are paying attention to how unusual weather conditions will affect the agricultural and fisheries industries. The focus will be on minimizing the negative impact weather change will have on households and people's health,'' the official said.
The measures come amid warnings that global warming will change the climate of South Korea, putting it at greater risk from floods, storms and droughts.
``Climate change will have a great impact on our environment, but Koreans are unaware how it will change our lives,'' said Hur Joong-soo, a Kyungbuk University professor who served as an advisor to President Lee Myung-bak for policies on climate change and energy shortage.
``Climate change is a crisis. We need to join international efforts to cut green house gas emissions and rein in emission-intensive industries to protect the environment.''
Many experts say human ``addiction'' to petroleum products is the root of the climate problem. For example, 90 percent of transport fuel comes from fossil fuel.
They say the economic boom in large carbon emitters like China and India will pump more heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere and negate the benefits of any emission reductions mandated by the Kyoto Protocol.
Some scholars have called on the government to introduce the so-called carbon credit trading system as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the system, which has already been introduced in Europe, companies that pollute too much must buy permits from companies whose emissions are below the limit set for them by the government.