Suwon Awarded Excellence Prize in Korea Forest Service's 'Green City Best Practices Competition'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-seong] The 'Suwon Delta Plex (Suwon General Industrial Complex) Fine Dust Blocking Forest Project' pursued by Suwon City has won the Excellence Prize (Korea Forest Service Director's Award) in the fine dust blocking forest category of the '2022 Green City Best Practices Competition' hosted by the Korea Forest Service.

The Korea Forest Service received applications for the competition from local governments nationwide in August to spread green city cases that ecologically create and manage 'fine dust blocking forests,' 'urban forests,' and 'street trees' while demonstrating superior capabilities in reducing fine dust. Through document and on-site evaluations, the best and excellence prizes were selected for each of the three categories. The awards ceremony will be held in December.

Suwon City was selected for the excellence prize by earning consistently high scores across all evaluation items, including the ecological health of urban forests, social and cultural functions, landscape functions, and maintenance management functions.

To respond to climate change by reducing fine dust and mitigating urban heat island effects, Suwon City pursued the 'Suwon Delta Plex Green Infrastructure Construction Fine Dust Blocking Forest Project' from April to December 2020. An urban forest was created in and around Jungbodeul Park (1129 Gosaeok-dong, Gwonseon-gu), adjacent to the industrial complex where approximately 740 advanced enterprises are located.

For large trees, 1,887 trees of 17 species including pine were planted; for shrubs, 18,000 shrubs of 3 species including spirea; and for ground covers, 399,300 plants of 2 species including liriope were planted to create a 50,000 square meter urban forest. The project received high marks for reducing fine dust in the urban industrial complex and providing green spaces where citizens and workers can rest.