12 Endangered Species by the Four-rivers Project

12  Endangered Species Animals and Plants by the Four-rivers Project

Have you ever heard about  Korean Four-rivers project ?

Korea's four main rivers are the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan. And the Four-rivers project  leads to excavate each river bed and build dams for  reservoirs. The project was attempted by Lee Myung-bak  administration in the second half of 2008 and scheduled to wrap up by 2012 with total project budget 14 trillion won.

For the controversial over the project the own title, the construction of a cross-country grand canal, was changed. But the project is still undergoing. For the reckless river development most people might worry about  riparian ecosystem damage caused by  the Four-rivers Project. And there are life-threatening living things, they are the direct victims for losing their  habitat.

KFEM(Korea Federation for Environment Movement) announced 12 animals  & plants which are officially designated as  extinction crisis and natural monument for the project.  Among them the great victims will be the  fresh water fish. For the slowed running fluid of the rivers, their habitat environment will be disturbed.

Let's say, extinction level 1, Gobiobotia naktongensis, Koreocobitis naktongensis and Iksookimia choii in Nakdong River.  And as an endangered species-level 2  Acheilognathus signifer and Gobiobotia macrocephalus in Han River.  Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae(extinction level 2) living in the home, Dori Island in the Namhan River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, is already known as major extinction species.  Many of Eremias argus Peters(extinction level 2) are found in same area, but they are not legally sorted in Environmental Impact Assessment. So actual survey is urgent. 

Wet lands damage caused by Four-rivers Project will threat food activities of migratory birds like Grus vipio. And then rare fresh water shell Cristaria plicata,  otter,  Charadrius placidus,  Chinemys reevesii can't avoid habitat destruction.

 

 

Unfamiliar names -such as Aster altaicus var. uchiyamae, Gobiobotia naktongensis, Grus vipio, Koreocobitis naktongensis, Iksookimia choii, Geoclemys(Chinemys) reevesii , Acheilognathus signifer , Charadrius placidus ,European otter,Cristaria plicata, Eremias argus Peters ,Gobiobotia macrocephalus - look more strange but we should keep them since they are  Korea's native precious living things.

Without proper environmental conservation plan, innocent native precious living things are losing their habitat for the reckless Four-rivers Project. We might see them any more. We are really sorry.

With this heart, we public benefit design group 'slowalk' attempted to graphic poster to project and declare the 12 animals and plants.

You can download the poster, PDF file(A4 size printable), wallpaper for iphone on slowalk blog(slowalk.com)

let it be_slowalk.pdf

 

The sorrowful  sight of Nak-dong river from the air

by psfilm       

*Clik the image and attached file, original size is available.