March 28, 2005| A new greenbelt project will start next month by planting 2 million trees along the banks of the nation's four major rivers to improve water quality and increase green area.
The Environment Ministry said on Sunday (March 27) that it will begin planting the 2 million trees on some 10 million pyong (33 square kilometers) of land upstream of the four rivers around April 5 which is Arbor Day. The rivers to benefit are the Han River in Seoul, the Nakdong River in Gyeongsang provinces, the Yongsan River in South Jeolla Province and the Geum River that runs from North Jeolla Province through South Chungcheong Province. The government plans to buy private land near the rivers with the tax collected from tap water fees and plant trees there. The ministry has already purchased some 2.4 million pyeong (about 8 square kilometers) of land for 192 billion won by last year, and plans to buy 1.8 million pyeong more (some 58.7 square kilometers) costing 850 billion won by 2010. The tree-planting project, costing 51.2 billion won, will begin after the land purchase finishes. The tree species will be decided according to the regions' soil condition. Local authorities, civic groups and residents will participate in the work. ˇ°We hope the greenbelt system will reduce pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, provide a habitat for wild animals, and offer people a resting place and a venue for ecosystem education,ˇ± a ministry official said. The ministry also expects trees will increase the water and absorb carbon dioxide which is the main culprit in global warming. ˇ°The government is responsible for buying and preserving land that is environmentally important,ˇ± Environment Minister Kwak Kyul-ho said. |