 Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Minister |
Staff Reporter
CHANGWON ― The wise linkage of wetlands with ecological tourism could be a new type of sustainable business model that protects the environment and benefits residents in the region, according to Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Minister Chung Jong-hwan.
``Suncheon Bay in South Jeolla Province has seen a six-fold increase in tourism since its inclusion on the Ramsar Convention list for preservation. It has become one of the most visited places for local residents, while more foreign tourists are also coming for a taste of the wetlands,'' Minister Chung said in an interview Tuesday.
The Convention has shed light on how wetlands and nature in general could benefit people, he added.
Concerning the ``wise use of wetland,'' the minister offered a pragmatic approach. Jeong said with research on the environmental and functional aspects of the wetland, it could be available for human use.
``I think the term `wise use' is similar to sustainable development ― not shunning people from the environment, but still seeking to conserve the sites' main function,'' he said.
``I am not talking about bulldozer development. I admit that the value of wetlands has been underestimated and we need to focus on rectifying the matter'' he said. ``We will leave core spots as preservation areas and let the rest be accessible to humans ― achieving balance,'' he shared.
He envisioned that hosting this Ramsar Convention would be a starting point for raising public and governmental awareness of the wetland. ``After Japan hosted the convention in 1993, the public began to focus on the area. I hope that happens here, too,'' he said.
Chung said the government is recognizing wetlands' contributions to green growth in various ways. ``It is all about reducing carbon dioxide emissions and developing environmentally friendly business models ― wetland can do both.''
He said the wetlands would ultimately prevent or at least slow down climate change. Peatland stores more than 40 percent of the carbon on Earth and coastal wetlands, preventing the surrounding areas from flooding and other environmental damage stemming from climate change, he said. Once peatland is destroyed and carbon is released, greenhouse gases would accelerate global warming, he added.
``Such issues were discussed at this convention and I expect some guidelines to be adopted as well,'' he said.
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