Climate Ministry Moves to Secure Water for AI and Semiconductors... Starts Selecting 2-3 Candidate Sites for Riverside Detention Basins

Part of Effort to Create Separate Water Storage Areas Along Rivers

The government is considering using riverside detention basins, which temporarily store water along rivers, as a means of securing water supplies in preparation for extreme drought. With water demand expected to rise in the future as advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors grow, the plan aims to diversify water sources rather than rely primarily on existing dams. It is also seen as an effort to secure additional water sources as reliable supply during droughts becomes a challenge for the southwestern semiconductor cluster, which requires 650,000 tons of water per day.

According to government ministries on October 8, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to assess the urgency and economic feasibility of projects and select two to three candidate sites for pilot water-supply projects using riverside detention basins. These basins are facilities built along rivers that temporarily hold river water during floods and supply it again during normal conditions for purposes such as maintaining river flows or irrigation. They are built using an "off-line" approach: a separate storage area is created beside the river, without directly connecting to the main river channel, and water is diverted into it only when needed. The ministry says this approach can maintain the continuity of existing river flows without interrupting them and minimize the need to relocate homes and other properties.

Unmun Dam in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province, shows its receding waterline on the 5th, as rainfall remains about half the usual level and the drought drags on. Yonhap News

Store Water During Droughts and Hold It Back During Floods

The ministry plans to first identify areas where riverside detention basins could provide a stable water supply during droughts. It will assess water-management conditions in each basin and how existing dams, rivers, and reservoirs are being used, then identify areas where the basins could help supply water even during extreme droughts. It will also examine examples of riverside detention basins in Korea and abroad to identify uses suited to local conditions.

Candidate sites will be sought mainly in areas upstream and downstream of existing dams. The ministry plans to select pilot project sites by evaluating how much water could be secured, how urgently the project needs to proceed, and whether it would be economically viable. Once the candidate sites are determined, analyses of water flows and levels will be used to establish the appropriate size, location, and design of the basins. The ministry will also consider how to operate them to store and supply water, as well as ways to reduce damage during floods. A ministry official said, "As part of this process, we will also review conditions necessary for carrying out the projects, including the possibility that land and homes could be inundated and the scope and scale of compensation."

Linking Them to Existing Dams and Considering Regulatory Improvements

The riverside detention basins envisioned by the ministry would do more than simply add another storage facility. The plan is to consider linking them to existing dams to store water and supply it when needed, creating multipurpose facilities that can serve water-quality management and water supply, as well as flood control and recreational access to the water.

Several challenges must be addressed before the plan can become an actual project. The ministry plans to review relevant laws and permitting procedures, identify obstacles in the current system, and consider ways to improve it.

The ministry is considering ways to use riverside detention basins as the substantial water demand of the southwestern semiconductor cluster, which will house large-scale semiconductor production facilities, has come to the fore, highlighting the need for advanced industries to secure reliable water sources. A ministry official said, "As climate change increases fluctuations in droughts and floods and water demand from advanced industries also grows, we will broadly explore ways to use a diverse range of water sources."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.