To prepare for the drought situation in the Gangneung area of Gangwon Province, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Korea Meteorological Administration held a countermeasure meeting on the 12th.
This year, the Gangneung area received only half of the normal level of rainfall. With no rain expected in the future, the city is facing difficulties in responding to the drought. The reservoir rate of the Obong Reservoir, which supplies 87% of the city's water supply, is only 25.4%. The drought level is at the 'warning' stage. The drought stages are divided into four levels based on the reservoir rate: concern (35%), caution (30%), warning (25%), and severe (20%).
During the meeting, the relevant authorities reviewed measures to minimize drought damage by each agency. Currently, the city has reduced the supply of living water and agricultural water by 10% and 60%, respectively, and plans to gradually reduce the supply of living water based on the reservoir rate of Obong Reservoir. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety decided to supply 29,000 bottles of drinking water within this week and urgently provided 1.4 billion won in disaster safety special grants to secure additional water for Gangneung City.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety noted that it plans to continuously implement support measures to overcome the drought through collaboration with relevant agencies and private organizations, such as launching a drinking water sharing campaign and a water-saving campaign.