SK hynix said on the 8th it will launch a "Water Positive" project to restore the aquatic ecosystem of Namdaecheon in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Yangyang County, Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water), and Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco) will join the project.
Water Positive refers to returning more water to nature than corporations use, achieving sustainable water management. The government will design related policies, public institutions will identify restoration projects, and corporations will participate in a public-private partnership. SK hynix plans to present a new co-prosperity model for the climate crisis era through this collaboration.
SK hynix decided to put Water Positive into practice by upgrading aging weirs on Namdaecheon in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. The company will restore continuity in the aquatic ecosystem by improving old weirs in Namdaecheon, Korea's largest migratory fish spawning ground, to secure flow and create healthy habitats for fish. The project will run from this year through 2037.
Namdaecheon, the country's largest salmon run, has faced an ecological crisis as aging weirs and altered water flows left salmon isolated and unable to return to their spawning grounds. Through this project, SK hynix plans to open waterways so salmon can safely return to their home river. The effort is expected to help restore the aquatic ecosystem, provide local residents with a pleasant waterfront environment, and boost its value as a tourism asset, contributing to revitalizing the local economy.
Lee Byung-gi, SK hynix chief production officer (CPO), said, "This project will be a case that shows corporations' Water Positive activities can become a 'tool for co-prosperity' that grows with local communities and the natural environment," adding, "SK hynix will continue sincere activities to protect water resources."