[Editorial] Water Management Policy Gone Awry

The Ministry of the Environment operated a "five year plan for supplying clean water" between 1993 and 1997. It spent W17 trillion yet was a failure. Water quality in the country's four major rivers got worse, and it failed to achieve most of its goals. Then, starting in 1998 and until last year, it spent W26 trillion on improving water quality in the four rivers, and achieved 42.3 percent of its goals. This year it is commencing on new W37 trillion project, in which it is going to spend the next ten years improving 85 percent of the country's rivers. Will it be able to avoid pouring taxes on the same mistakes?

Last year the government and ruling party received a report on problems in water management policy, including the worsening quality of water in the four major rivers, too many water treatment plans and inefficient management, overlapping investment by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the separate management of the water supply by the national and local governments. The report was the result of a study of the reasons water quality policy has failed. However, one important factor was not considered. They overlooked the fact there was no detailed study of why water is becoming contaminated. The government is essentially performing surgery without knowing what the disease is.

The authorities have long been negligent in trying to understand how bad the contamination is. A good example would be how a government agency recently found new harmful substances in tap water and proposed they be water quality criteria. Finding new cases of contamination will get them criticized, so civil servants are avoiding having inquiries. You cannot cure the disease with that kind of attitude. You can only issue the proper prescription once you know exactly what disease rivers are suffering from.

The government is interested in privatizing water management, but the question of how the job is done is more important than who does it. It should try doing the job right with the many bureaucrats it has on hand. Today (Wednesday) is World Day for Water, and you wonder how the government is going to spend that W37 trillion.

The Hankyoreh, 22 March 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]