International exchange activities

Conduct technical research to solve water problems in the poorer Asian countries

The total amount of water on earth is about 1.4 billion ㎦, but 98% is seawater, and the remaining 2% is frozen in polar glaciers or flows in the ground. In addition, the amount of freshwater available to humans is only 0.01%. However, due to deforestation and desertification, the number of lakes and rivers is rapidly decreasing, and drought damage due to extreme weather is getting worse year by year.

In this regard, the Institute conducts research to prepare countermeasures for water shortage and desertification, especially in Asia, to establish the sustainability of water environment and water resources for the next generation.

International Cooperation to Solve the Water Problems of Urban Basin in Korea

It was found that 20% of the world's population (approximately 1.1 billion people) do not drink clean water due to the failure of water resource management policies around the world. Most of them live in poor countries, and more than half are in China and India. In addition, 2.6 billion people live without basic sewage treatment facilities, and 30-40% of the water supplied is abandoned or leaking.

In addition, the United Nations report released on September 9 pointed out that rapid urbanization, population concentration and lack of precipitation due to environmental changes are increasing global water shortages.

At UNESCO, the water problem is not a local problem but a responsibility to be with, and the World Water Committee and the World Water Forum are in progress. Therefore, the Institute plans to study the solution of water problem through international cooperation of water problem.