Industrialization often brings contamination and global concerns about the environment. In 1992, the Rio conference was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for discussions about environmental issues. At this conference, one of the main topics was Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development (ESSD). The concept ecological polis arose as one of the main methods of harmonizing development with environmental preservation. Ecological polis means a city having a system where people can harmonize with the environment and coexist with each other. For example, Curitiba in Brazil, Gothenburg in Sweden and Freiburg in Germany, these are world ecological polis. Ulsan has also made an effort to change into an ecological city from an industrial city, like many industrial cities world-wide have done.
Appointed as a special industrial zone in the 1960s, Ulsan has contributed to the growth of Korea’s economy so that Korea is currently ranked 13th in the world. Because of the rapid growth in a short period of time, however, the environment of Ulsan suffered from severe contamination. To solve this problem, Ulsan developed The Eco-polis Ulsan which is a type of Ulsan ecological city in 2004. Since this time it has endeavored to change into an environmentally friendly city. Eco-polis Ulsan is a new city development model that involves resource-circulating networking and maintains overall industrial structures. This in turn develops the environmental industry with Ulsan’s manufacturing industries like its auto, shipbuilding and petrochemical industries. The Eco-polis Ulsan is divided into 10 sectors and there has been great improvement in Ulsan’s air and water quality. Other notable changes include environmental improvement, green zone space expansion, eco preservation restoration, resource recycling, soil environment improvement, sea environment improvement, city image improvement, eco-friendly traffic system and citizenship cultivation. It took about 1.5 trillion won to invest in every field of eco-polis Ulsan up to now.
The environment of Ulsan has strikingly improved over the last 10 years since the implementation of eco-polis Ulsan. The amount of sulfurous acid gas (SO2) is a representative atmospheric indicator of an industrial city. It results from the combustion of sulfuric compounds. SO2 contaminates air conditions so that it makes acid rain. And the acid rain results in the acidification of lakes and swamps. It is also harmful, in that it causes pneumonia and bronchitis. The SO2 indicator in Ulsan was 0.010ppm in 2004, but it has improved to 0.008ppm in 2013. Recently fine dust has been a hot topic in terms of the environment. It contains heavy metals like cadmium, aluminum and lead. These dust particles are minute and penetrate into the human alveolus and cause respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease and skin ailments. The atmospheric index that showed the concentration of fine dust was 50㎍/㎥ in 2004, but in 2013, it has improved to 47㎍/㎥.
After Ulsan was designated an industrial city in 1962, industrial waste water and domestic sewage flowed recklessly into the Taehwagang River as the city was growing. Because of that, the water supply situation of the Taehwagang River deteriorated and the river reeked of an unpleasant smell. Many fish species like salmon died on a massive scale. After this occurred, people tried to clean and purify the Taehwagang River. Eco-polis Ulsan established the ‘Taehwagang River Master Plan’ in 2005, and pushed ahead with the Mugeo Yeocheon Natural River Purifying Project. In 2007, it completed the Sediment Dredging project and achieved substantial water environment improvement. In addition, there was eco preservation restoration by building the Taehwagang River ecological park in 2010. The BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) is an index that is used to evaluate water quality. It was 3.2mg/l on the basis of down-stream of the Taehwagang River in 2004, but it improved to 1.9mg/l in 2013. If the BOD is 1mg/l or less, the level of water supply is considered to be first level, and if it is 3mg/l or less, it is considered to be second level. The Taehwagang River was at the third level in 2004, but it has achieved the second level in 2013.
Eco-polis Ulsan planned to make an ecological city that considered the quality of life of Ulsan citizens by creating urban forests. Located in the suburbs of the city, urban forest means that it is possible to easily access the forest. This provides high quality living and a great place for taking a rest. While the average index of urban forest area per person in a lot of cities is 8.32㎡, the index in Ulsan is 16.16㎡. And this is twice as high as 8.5㎡, the result that Korea aims to achieve by 2017. It also exceeds the 9㎡ standard of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Now, ten years after declaring Eco-polis Ulsan, Ulsan citizens show a higher overall satisfaction than before. The satisfaction rate for air quality was 36.6% in 2004 and 57.7% in 2013, so it rose by 21.1%P. The satisfaction of water quality was 41.2% in 2004, and 59.8% in 2013, an increase of 18.6%P. Implementing Eco-polis Ulsan has improved the atmosphere and water quality of Ulsan.
Suwon in Gyeonggi-do has endeavored to grow as an ecological city representing Korea by setting up a sisterhood relationship with Freiburg, another global ecological city. The Eco-polis Ulsan project has been carried out successfully, but Ulsan should give a more proactive effort in order to take one more step. It should not only align itself with ecological cities that are famous, but also set up a sisterhood relationships with the industrializing cities in China and Southeast Asia that look like the past-image of Ulsan. Therefore, Ulsan needs to share itself as a successful example for the world. I see the case of Ulsan to be a successful precedent for many industrial cities around the world who want to be an ecological city.
