Suncheon, Republic of Korea

Sustainability and Resilience

What efforts have been made to reduce the carbon footprint of the initiative?

Introduction of the electric propulsion ecological experience boat.

As the nature of Suncheonman Bay Wetland recovers, many visitors are currently using the ecological experience boat with internal combustion engine to tour Suncheonman Bay. However, Suncheon City aims to provide tourists with an eco-friendly experience without fumes and noise in 2023 by building two 20-ton electric propulsion ecological experience boats for the first time in the country in an effort to minimize damage to wetlands and nature.

Eco-friendly means of transportation, “Sky Cube”.

Sky Cube, an eco-friendly means of transportation connecting Suncheonman National Garden to Suncheonman Bay Wetland, is in operation to limit vehicles entering Suncheonman Bay due to 3 million visitors to Suncheonman Bay every year.

Reeds Trail Expansion

Carbon absorption in salt wetlands such as reed fields is five times higher than that of general forests. The reed forest, which was 500 km2 in 1997, increased to 5,600 km2 due to the continuous conservation projects.

How have the anticipated impacts of climate change been considered?

Turning the riverside into the wetland

Farmers cultivated rice by reclaiming the riverside as farmland, and pesticides were used as needed. It eventually damaged not only wetland creatures but also nearby residents. Suncheon-city has purchased private land along the river and recreated it as a reservoir to use it as a shelter for migratory birds.

Turing the farmland into the wetland

Jeolgang Wetland in Suncheonman Bay was used as agricultural land, but it was recreated as a shelter for migratory birds that matches with the beauty of Jeolgang River.

Turning the sand beach into the wetland.

In Suncheonman Bay, there was a sandy beach where waste soil from the aggregate collecting project was accumulated, and it was left as a garbage disposal site until 2009. Suncheon-city purchased the land from the central government agency and created it as a migratory bird shelter with central government funding

What processes does the initiative include for it to be considerate in its use of soils and other natural resources?

Restoration of inland wetlands in Dongcheon Estuary

In order to expand the Suncheonman Bay biological habitat and create a shelter for migratory birds during high tide, the land around the Suncheonman Bay wetland protection area was purchased by Suncehon city and the wetland restoration was promoted.

Suncheonman Bay Coastal Wetland Restoration

Local residents participate and share benefits through revitalization of the local economy such as high value-added fisheries and ecotourism, as well as expanding the repository of life through mudflats restoration, not just seawater resources distribution.

Suncheonman Bay Clean 365 project

• Promote a project to strengthen residents’ capabilities to realize the plastic zero zone in Ramsar Wetland.
• Protect marine life and improve the fishing village environment by reducing marine waste.
• Inflow garbage and bio-phase investigation by investigating the Suncheonman Bay inflow river filter net and the fish fence.