By Ko Dong-hwan
Southern Korea's severe drought is having a heavy impact on farmers and causing drinking water shortages.
Farmers in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, are seeking alternatives to bring water to their crops after streams dried up.
"We have been drawing water from wells but they only provide so much," a female farmer from Gadae Village in the city's Buk-gu said.
A farmer from Seongan-dong, Jung-gu, said he has not seen a drought this bad in 30 years.
"Drought and excessive heat made it impossible to farm," he said.
The city managed to get water from the Dongcheon River that runs through it and dug pits under reservoirs to secure as much water as possible.
The Korea Rural Community Corporation's Ulsan office said there has been less than half last year's rain this year and expressed concern the drought might persist.
Municipalities in South Jeolla Province have worked hard to ease the drought crisis. Sinan-gun, whose reservoirs are at only 18 percent of capacity, sought 87 billion won ($76 million) in emergency funds from the central government and provided 16 billion won from its own coffers to build basins and pipes to divert water from flowing to the ocean.
Coastal city Jindo-gun is drawing water from Geumho Lake in adjacent Haenam-gun to distribute across the city.
"Whenever drought hits, seawater from the West Sea permeates," a city official said. "The water from Geumho Lake will hopefully solve the problem."
Wando-gun plans to build a two-kilometer pipe linking farmland and the city's Chungryong Reservoir to help farmers.
"Everyone is trying to make ends meet to overcome this crisis," a Wando city official said. "But without the central government's help, there is only so much one municipality can do."
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| Water shoots from a tube well under construction in Bogae-myeon, Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, on June 19. The 55th Army Division used 200 vehicles and 400 soldiers to supply some 2,100 tons of water to drought-hit farms in five cities in the province, including Gwangju, Yeoju, Icheon and Yongin. / Yonhap |
Farmers in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, are seeking alternatives to bring water to their crops after streams dried up.
"We have been drawing water from wells but they only provide so much," a female farmer from Gadae Village in the city's Buk-gu said.
A farmer from Seongan-dong, Jung-gu, said he has not seen a drought this bad in 30 years.
"Drought and excessive heat made it impossible to farm," he said.
The city managed to get water from the Dongcheon River that runs through it and dug pits under reservoirs to secure as much water as possible.
The Korea Rural Community Corporation's Ulsan office said there has been less than half last year's rain this year and expressed concern the drought might persist.
Municipalities in South Jeolla Province have worked hard to ease the drought crisis. Sinan-gun, whose reservoirs are at only 18 percent of capacity, sought 87 billion won ($76 million) in emergency funds from the central government and provided 16 billion won from its own coffers to build basins and pipes to divert water from flowing to the ocean.
Coastal city Jindo-gun is drawing water from Geumho Lake in adjacent Haenam-gun to distribute across the city.
"Whenever drought hits, seawater from the West Sea permeates," a city official said. "The water from Geumho Lake will hopefully solve the problem."
Wando-gun plans to build a two-kilometer pipe linking farmland and the city's Chungryong Reservoir to help farmers.
"Everyone is trying to make ends meet to overcome this crisis," a Wando city official said. "But without the central government's help, there is only so much one municipality can do."
