The Paldang Project

2001-12-01

The paldang water catchment area in Yangpyong County, South Korea, is not an easy place for farmers to make a living. It is hilly and remote from city markets. It is also the main water catchment area for Seoul, sixty kilometers downstream. It lies beside the Han River, one of the largest rivers in Korea and the source of most of Seoul's drinking water. This restricts local farmers, who must take care that their agricultural practices do not contaminate Seoul's water supply.

A potential disadvantage has been made the basis for an successful new project which may point the way to combining agriculture and environmental concerns. The County government is promoting environmentally friendly farming. The program has been widely adopted by local farmers, and has also been internationally recognized. In November 2000, the program received ISO 14001 certification. (This is an environmental management system standard, developed through international consensus).

On the principle that the "beneficiary pays", water users in Seoul pay the Paldang farmers a water charge of US$0.08 per cubic meter. This is an important source of financial support for the project. The Korean government also provides subsidies for low-cost organic fertilizer, weeding machines and other aids for organic farming.

Yangpyong County has developed a well-known marketing image based on its clean water and healthy environment. As result, County products such as organic rice sell for a good price. Around 70% of farmers in the Paldang project area are following environmentally friendly farming practices, including 44% who are using no chemical pesticides at all, and 10% who are using organic methods. On some organic rice farms, ducks are being used for weed control and as a source of income.

Since this approach is new, there are still many important issues to be resolved. One is the market price for ducks. So many rice farmer are rearing ducks in their paddy fields that prices are going down. Another problem is the extent to which the area should be developed as a tourist resort. The clean water and many trees make it very attractive as a recreation zone for people living in Seoul. However, too much tourism might damage its role as a conservation area.

Index of Images

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  Figure 1 Ducks in Rice Paddies Provide Additional Income and Keep down Weeds

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  Figure 2 Duck House at Edge of Paddy Field