Environment Minister Jo Myeong-rae Inspects Suwon's Heat Wave Response

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Environment Minister Jo Myeong-rae inspected Suwon's heat wave response measures on the 16th.

Minister Jo Myeong-rae and Mayor Yeom Tae-young held a meeting at the former Maetan Market office and then examined the cooling fog system. An Sang-keun, chairman of the former Maetan Market Merchants Association, and Lee Eun-hoe, executive director of the Korean Climate and Environment Network, attended.

At the meeting, Minister Jo said, "I came to check on how those vulnerable to heat waves are managing during the summer and how the city is responding," adding "I will provide support if there are areas where the Environment Ministry's assistance is needed."

After inspecting the cooling fog system, Minister Jo asked merchants about its effectiveness, and they responded, "It's much cooler." The cooling fog system is a water mist spray system that uses water pipes and special nozzles to spray purified water to a size about one ten-millionth of a raindrop. The sprayed water lowers temperature by 3 to 5 degrees and has the effect of purifying the air. The city installed it at the former Maetan Market in June last year.

Minister Jo assessed, "The merchants' satisfaction with the cooling fog system seems high," and "It has an effect of lowering temperature and has a nice design."

Mayor Yeom Tae-young explained, "Traditional markets in open spaces see fewer customers when heat waves persist. Our city is responding through cooling fog, cooling road, and green curtain projects," and added, "To efficiently promote heat wave response projects, the central and local governments as well as civil society must work together. The fundamental solution is preventing climate change."

Minister Jo and Mayor Yeom visited homes of elderly single residents near the former Maetan Market and the Gamani-gol Senior Center to meet with the elderly. Minister Jo urged, "When it's hot, please rest as much as possible and drink water frequently, and follow heat wave response guidelines well."

Minister Jo also visited the rainwater surface spray system (cooling road) in front of Suwon World Cup Stadium and a rainwater supply facility in operation, asking staff about operational effectiveness, installation costs, and maintenance expenses. The rainwater surface spray system is a facility that sprays collected rainwater on roads to lower temperature and reduce fine dust.

Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry provided 100 sets of heat wave response supplies including cooling mats, umbrellas, and fans to the city. The Korean Climate and Environment Network and the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute sponsored the initiative. The city plans to deliver them to households vulnerable to heat waves.