• Title/Summary/Keyword: International Environmental Agreement

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The Ecological Values of the Korean Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) and International Natural Protected Areas (비무장지대(DMZ)의 생태적 가치와 국제자연보호지역)

  • Cho, Do-soon
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.52 no.1
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    • pp.272-287
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    • 2019
  • The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established in 1953 by the Korean War Armistice Agreement. It extends from the estuary of the Imjin River, in the west, to the coast of the East Sea. It is 4 km in width and 148 km in length. However, the ecosystems of the civilian control zone (CCZ) located between the southern border of the DMZ and the civilian control line (CCL) and the CCZ in the estuary of the Han River and the Yellow Sea are similar to those in the DMZ, and, therefore, the ecosystems of the DMZ and the CCZ are collectively known as the "ecosystems of the DMZ and its vicinities." The flora in the DMZ and its vicinities is composed of 1,864 species, which accounts for about 42% of all the vascular plant species on the Korean Peninsula and its affiliated islands. Conducting a detailed survey on the vegetation, flora, and fauna in the DMZ is almost impossible due to the presence of landmines and limitations on the time allowed to be spent in the DMZ. However, to assess the environmental impact of the Munsan-Gaesong railroad reconstruction project, it was possible to undertake a limited vegetation survey within the DMZ in 2001. The vegetation in Jangdan-myeon, in Paju City within the DMZ, was very simple. It was mostly secondary forests dominated by oaks such as Quercus mongolica, Q. acutissima, and Q. variabilis. The other half of the DMZ in Jangdan-myeon was occupied by grassland composed of tall grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis, M. sacchariflorus, and Phragmites japonica. Contrary to the expectation that the DMZ may be covered with pristine mature forests due to more than 60 years of no human interference, the vegetation in the DMZ was composed of simple secondary forests and grasslands formed on former rice paddies and agricultural fields. At present, the only legal protection system planned for the DMZ is the Natural Environment Conservation Act, which ensures that the DMZ would be managed as a nature reserve for only two years following Korean reunification. Therefore, firstly, the DMZ should be designated as a site of domestic legally protected areas such as nature reserve (natural monument), scenic site, national park, etc. In addition, we need to try to designate the DMZ as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve or as a World Heritage site, or as a Ramsar international wetland for international cooperation. For nomination as a world heritage site, we can emphasize the ecological and landscape value of the wetlands converted from the former rice paddies and the secondary forests maintained by frequent fires initiated by military activities. If the two Koreas unexpectedly reunite without any measures in place for the protection of nature in the DMZ, the conditions prior to the Korean War, such as rice paddies and villages, will return. In order to maintain the current condition of the ecosystems in the DMZ, we have to discuss and prepare for measures including the retention of mines and barbed-wire fences, the construction of roads and railroads in the form of tunnels or bridges, and the maintenance of the current fire regime in the DMZ.

Estimating Carrying Capacity of Lake Shihwa for Water Quality Management (수질관리를 위한 시화호의 환경용량 산정)

  • Kim, Hyung-Chul;Choi, Woo-Jeung;Lee, Won-Chan;Koo, Jun-Ho;Lee, Pil-Yong;Park, Sung-Eun;Hong, Seok-Jin;Jang, Ju-Hyoung
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.571-581
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    • 2007
  • The mechanism of water pollution in Lake Shihwa, one of highly eutrophicated artificial lakes in Korea, has been studied using a numerical 3D physical-biochemical coupled model. In this study, the model was applied to estimate the contribution of land-based pollutant load to water quality of heavily polluted Lake Shihwa. The chemical oxygen demand(COD) was adopted as an index of the lake water quality, and the spatial distribution of an average COD concentration during the summer from 1999 to 2000 was simulated by the model. The simulated COD showed a good agreement with the observed data. According to reproducibility of COD, the high-est levels between 8 and 9 mg/L were shown at the inner site of the lake with inflow of many rivers and ditches, while the lowest was found to be about 5 mg/L at the southwestern site near to dike gate. In the pre-diction of water quality of Lake Shihwa, COD showed still higher levels than 3 mg/L in case of reduction of 95% for land-based pollutant load. This suggests that the curtailment of land-based pollutant load is not only sufficient but the improvement of sediment quality or the increase of seawater exchange should be considered together to improve a water quality in Lake Shihwa.

Introduction of region-based site functions into the traditional market environmental support funding policy development (재래시장 환경개선 지원정책 개발에서의 지역 장소적 기능 도입)

  • Jeong, Dae-Yong;Lee, Se-Ho
    • Proceedings of the Korean DIstribution Association Conference
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    • 2005.05a
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    • pp.383-405
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    • 2005
  • The traditional market is foremost a regionally positioned place, wherein the market directly represents regional and cultural centered traits while it plays an important role in the circulation of facilities through reciprocal, informative and cultural exchanges while sewing to form local communities. The traditional market in Korea is one of representative retail businesses and premodern marketing techniques by family owned business of less than five members such as product management, purchase method, and marketing patterns etc. Since the 1990s, the appearance of new circulation-type businesses and large discount convenience stores escalated the loss of traditional competitiveness, increased the living standard of customers, changed purchasing patterns, and expanded the ubiquity of the Internet. All of these changes in external circulation circumstances have led the traditional markets to lose their place in the economy. The traditional market should revive on a regional site basis through the formation of a community of regional neighbors and through knowledge-sharing that leads to the creation of wealth. For the purpose of creating a wealth in a place, the following components are necessary: 1) a facility suitable for the spatial place of the present, 2)trust built through exchanges within the changing market environment, which would simultaneously satisfy customer's desires, 3) international bench marking on cases such as regionally centered TCM (England), BID (USA), and TMO (Japan) so that the market unit of store placement transfers from a spot policy to a line policy, 4)conversion of communicative conception through a surface policy approach centered around a macro-region perspective. The budget of the traditional market funding policy was operational between 2001 and 2004, serving as a counter move to solve the problem of the old traditional market through government intervention in regional economies to promote national economic strength. This national treasury funding project was centered on environmental improvement, research corps, and business modernization through the expenditure of 3,853 hundred million won (Korean currency). However, the effectiveness of this project has yet to be to proven through investigation. Furthermore, in promoting this funding support project, a lack of professionalism among merchants in the market led to constant limitations in comprehensive striving strategies, reduced capabilities in middle-and long-term plan setup, and created reductions in voluntary merchant agreement solutions. The traditional market should go beyond mere physical place and ordinary products creative site strategies employing the communicative approach must accompany these strategies to make the market a new regional and spatial living place. Thus, regarding recent paradigm changes and the introduction of region-based site functions into the traditional market, acquiring a conversion of direction into the newly developed project is essential to reinvestigate the traditional market composed of cultural and economic meanings, for the purpose of the research. Excavating social policy demands through the comparative analysis of domestic and international cases as well as innovative and expert management leadership development for NPO or NGO civil entrepreneurs through advanced case research on present promotion methods is extremely important. Discovering the seeds of the cultural contents industry cored around regional resource usages, commercializing regionally reknowned products, and constructing complex cultural living places for regional networks are especially important. In order to accelerate these solutions, a comprehensive and systemized approach research operated within a mentor academy system is required, as research will reveal distinctive traits of the traditional market in the aging society.

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A Study on the Effective Controlling System of Radio-activity Ventilation (RI사용 의료기관의 효율적인 배기관리 방안)

  • Lee, Kyung-Jae;Lee, Jin-Hyung;Kim, Kyung-Hoon;Kwack, Dong-Woo;Jo, Hyun-Duck;Ko, Kil-Man;Park, Young-Jae;Lee, In-Won
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.91-98
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: Radio-isotopes (RI) use has been steadily developing due to industrial and technical development in the modern medical society. Particularly, popularization of domestic cyclotrons dramatically enable hospitals to produce and use diagnostic radio-isotopes. Generally, only specific facilities such as hospitals, research institutes, nuclear power plants and universities can use radio-isotopes, they are also responsible for ventilation system. The strength of radioactivity in the air is strongly regulated and controlled by korea atomic energy law in Korea Institue of Nuclear Safety (KINS), so that air radioactivity exposure can lead to environmental pollution surrounding places. In this study, we'd like to find out the investigation and the present condition of the controlled ventilation system in domestic hospitals by an emission standard from KINS, and try to reach an agreement about how to use the ventilation system. Result: Definition of filters, features and structures of pre-filters, hepa-filters, charcol filters, filter exchange procedures and precautions are explained. RI deflation concentration and filter exchange cycle have been presented as a standard prescribed in the rules of KINS. The Radiation Control Management System (RCMS) introduced by Seoul National University Bundang Hospital linking to digital pressure gauge with computer controller in another medical facilities were described in details. Conclusions: The system of medical facilities using RI has been remarkably developing in 21 century. Especially, radiation safety control system has also been grown rapidly into the subdivision, specialization, advanced technology along with international technical improvement. However, As far as current RI ventilation system is concerned, it has nothing better than doing in the past. Preferentially, to reinforce this, more sophisticated system with strict periodic filter exchange and exhaust air control guidance should be introduced by applying brilliant domestic information technology for RCMS and digital gauge method. From personal point of view as a radiation safety manager, I have provide with present problems and improvements. Futhermore, more improved guidance should be conducted.

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