The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Hwa-jin) announced that the review results of the 2023 implementation status of the 3rd National Climate Crisis Adaptation Enhancement Plan (hereinafter referred to as the National Adaptation Plan) will be presented to the Just Transition and Climate Change Adaptation Subcommittee of the 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission (co-chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chair of the Private Sector Kim Sang-hyup, hereinafter referred to as the CN&GG Commission) for deliberation and approval on May 16.

The government annually reviews the implementation status of the National Adaptation Plan from the previous year in accordance with Article 39 of the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with Climate Crisis (hereinafter referred to as the Carbon Neutrality Framework Act).

In the 2023 review, which corresponds to the first year of the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan, it was assessed that out of a total of 292 projects, 191 projects (65.4%) received an excellent rating, and 101 projects (34.6%) received a fair rating, indicating that the foundation of the National Adaptation Plan is being solidly established.

The ratings and selection of best practices for this evaluation were determined by 42 experts from various fields and a panel of 50 citizens selected for the 2023 national evaluation team.

First, among the expert-selected best practices, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s project ‘Gradual and Phased Improvement of Disaster-Vulnerable Housing, such as Semi-Basement Homes’ received high praise. This project minimizes safety blind spots by prioritizing the installation of flood prevention facilities in public rental housing among semi-basement homes by public operators.

Among the best practices selected by the national evaluation panel, the National Institute of Biological Resources’ project ‘Expansion of Public Participation in Climate Change Adaptation Monitoring’ was highly regarded. This project involves citizen scientists and youth teaming up to observe climate change indicator species in their local areas and input data using a nature observation app, thus contributing to research and fostering future experts.

However, experts noted that the climate adaptation information services are scattered across different ministries, limiting efficient service utilization. In response, the Ministry of Environment plans to implement improvements by establishing a ‘National Climate Crisis Adaptation Information Comprehensive Platform’ to enable local governments and citizens to quickly and easily access the adaptation information produced.

In addition, the Ministry of Environment will compile the results of the implementation reviews of local climate crisis adaptation plans and report them to the CN&GG Commission. These review results are based on the comprehensive implementation status reports* from each local government (city/province, city/county/district) concerning 8,655 tasks across 8 sectors of the 2023 annual plans.

* According to Article 40 of the Carbon Neutrality Framework Act, each local government is required to annually review the implementation status of their local adaptation plans and submit the results to the 2050 Local Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission for deliberation before reporting to the CN&GG Commission.

Among the exemplary cases of local adaptation plans, the project ‘Establishment and Operation of Companion Partnerships for Residents of Semi-Basement Homes in Seoul’ by the Seoul Metropolitan Government was highly regarded. In this project, companion partnerships consisting of government officials and residents were formed, and support was provided for 954 households, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, residing in semi-basement homes, to facilitate rapid dissemination of information and evacuation assistance in the event of flooding. 

At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP28) held in the United Arab Emirates in late November last year, there was a proposal for a ‘global adaptation goal’ which entails a cycle of adaptation policy phases, including risk assessment, formulation and implementation of adaptation measures, and evaluation of implementation status, in order to address climate crisis challenges.

The Ministry of Environment plans to incorporate the improvements identified in this review into detailed implementation plans at a leading level in accordance with the adaptation goals set by the international community. These improvements will also be reflected in the fourth National Climate Crisis Adaptation Plan to be formulated next year, aiming to advance climate crisis adaptation efforts.

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com