Busan has long been a center of industrial and maritime growth. However, this rapid development has disrupted the city’s natural waterways, particularly in the heavily industrialized western regions like Sasang-gu and Saha-gu. Streams such as Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Goejeongcheon, which once flowed freely into the Nakdonggang River, now face severe pollution, poor water quality, and physical disconnection.
In response, Busan’s government is focusing on restoring these waterways as part of a broader strategy to reconnect its streams, rivers, and coastal areas to promote sustainability and urban revitalization. This initiative aims not only to address the environmental degradation caused by industrialization but also to improve public spaces and bridge the East-West development gap.
One of Busan’s most successful restoration projects, Oncheoncheon Stream, demonstrates the potential of such efforts. Once highly polluted, this stream has been restored and now flows into Suyeonggang River, improving water quality and creating recreational spaces near Gwangalli Beach. The success of this project offers a blueprint for similar restoration initiatives across the city.
In this article, we will explore how reconnecting streams like Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Goejeongcheon with the Nakdonggang River could enhance urban sustainability, biodiversity, and quality of life. By transforming industrialized zones into pedestrian-friendly spaces, Busan has the opportunity to create a more environmentally sustainable and livable city.
Reconnecting Streams to the Nakdonggang River
Busan’s rapid industrialization from the 1960s to the 1980s, particularly in its western districts like Sasang-gu and Saha-gu, played a pivotal role in severing the natural flow of water between streams, rivers, and the sea. Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Goejeongcheon, which once flowed into the Nakdonggang River, became fragmented due to industrial development, road construction, and heavy urbanization. These waterways, now largely disconnected, have suffered from severe pollution and reduced ecological functions.
The development of industrial complexes, roads, and bridges in these areas not only disrupted waterway connectivity but also created urban barriers, further separating streams from their natural destinations, such as the Nakdong Estuary and Dadaepo Beach. This industrial expansion worsened water quality, compromised flood control systems, and led to the gradual degradation of aquatic ecosystems.
In contrast, eastern Busan—focused around Suyeonggang River and Haeundae—has benefitted from greater investment in waterway management, urban infrastructure, and public spaces. This imbalance has created a clear development gapbetween the city’s east and west.
Restoring the natural water flow by reconnecting streams to the Nakdonggang River and coastal ecosystems would help mitigate these challenges. This initiative would not only improve water quality and flood management but also transform these neglected streams into vibrant urban spaces, offering the potential for eco-friendly development, improved public health, and biodiversity restoration.
Oncheoncheon to Gwangalli Beach: A Model for Waterway Restoration Success in Busan
One of Busan’s most notable successes in waterway restoration is the Oncheoncheon Stream project. Once heavily polluted and neglected, Oncheoncheon has been transformed into a vibrant ecological corridor that now connects to Suyeonggang River, improving water flow and water quality in the process. The restoration has not only revived the natural ecosystem but also created green spaces for public recreation, such as parks and walkways along the stream.
These developments have had a significant impact on nearby urban areas, especially around Gwangalli Beach, where the stream’s cleaner water has contributed to biodiversity restoration and better flood management. This interconnected waterway system now serves as a model for future restoration projects, showcasing the potential for urban renewal, improved quality of life, and sustainability through restored waterways.
The project’s success demonstrates how reconnecting urban streams to larger rivers and coastal areas can transform neglected waterways into key ecological and public assets. With improved water quality, enhanced public spaces, and flood prevention benefits, the Oncheoncheon-Suyeonggang-Gwangalli connection is now a blueprint for replicating similar transformations in Busan’s other streams, particularly in the industrial western regions.
Restoring Streams for Urban Renewal
While eastern Busan has thrived with projects such as the Suyeonggang restoration, the western districts like Sasang-guand Saha-gu have faced challenges from decades of industrial development, resulting in urban decay and environmental neglect. The stark divide between the eastern and western regions of the city is evident not only in the state of their waterways but also in the overall urban infrastructure and quality of life.
In the west, streams like Goejeongcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Gamcheon have become highly polluted and disconnected from the Nakdonggang River. These streams flow through heavily industrialized zones where poor urban planning has resulted in blocked or buried waterways, severely impacting the local environment. Unlike eastern Busan, where water quality improvements and urban renewal projects have boosted economic growth and tourism, western Busan remains underdeveloped.
Restoring these western streams and reconnecting them to larger water systems like Nakdonggang River would provide a much-needed boost to the region. By addressing the development gap, these restoration projects would offer residents in the west greater access to green spaces, improve environmental conditions, and set the stage for future economic revitalization.
The streams in Busan’s western regions—Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Gamcheon—are particularly affected by industrial pollution. Flowing through old industrial zones, these streams have become conduits for wastewater and industrial runoff, significantly degrading water quality and leading to ecosystem collapse in parts of the Nakdong Estuary.
The streams suffer from a combination of untreated sewage, factory discharge, and construction runoff, which results in poor water quality and disrupts the natural flow to Nakdonggang River. The ecological imbalance caused by this pollution has reduced biodiversity, harmed aquatic life, and created unattractive, unhealthy environments for local communities.
Despite these challenges, Busan’s local government has started implementing cleanup efforts, such as increasing monitoring of water quality and setting stricter regulations on industrial waste disposal. However, additional measures, including stream restoration and improved pollution management systems, are essential to ensure the long-term health of these waterways and the broader riverine ecosystem.
Future Stream Restoration Projects and Urban Development
The restoration of Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Goejeongcheon presents an opportunity to not only clean up these streams but also redevelop the surrounding urban environment. The Busan Metropolitan Government is actively looking into restoration projects that will reconnect these waterways to the Nakdonggang River, improve water quality, and create eco-friendly public spaces.
In addition to improving environmental conditions, these projects aim to create pedestrian-friendly zones along the streams. Similar to the successful transformation of the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul, these industrial zones could be redeveloped into green corridors, allowing residents to enjoy walking paths, bike lanes, and leisure spaces near restored waterways. These efforts would improve public health, reduce air and water pollution, and contribute to the broader goal of making Busan a more sustainable and livable city.
Restoration projects like these will also have an economic impact, as they will increase tourism, create job opportunities in green industries, and potentially attract new businesses that align with sustainability goals.
Reconnecting these western streams to the Nakdonggang River would have far-reaching ecological and urban benefits. Ecologically, restoring the natural water flow would revitalize ecosystems along the river and its tributaries, improving habitats for fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife. This would also enhance biodiversity in and around Eulsukdo Ecological Park, a key habitat for migratory birds.
From an urban perspective, restored waterways would act as natural flood control systems, reducing the risk of flooding in low-lying areas and improving water management across Busan. Additionally, creating green corridors along these streams would improve air quality and provide cooling effects in heavily urbanized and industrial zones, making these areas more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Reconnected and restored streams would also offer residents and tourists new recreational opportunities, turning neglected areas into vibrant public spaces that foster community engagement, enhance the aesthetic appeal of the city, and contribute to urban regeneration efforts.
Challenges and Considerations for Future Restoration Projects
The restoration of these industrial waterways faces significant challenges, particularly in managing industrial pollutionand working within the constraints of heavily urbanized areas. Decades of pollution, both from factories and urban runoff, have severely compromised water quality, and reversing these effects will require extensive cleanup efforts and long-term planning.
The involvement of private businesses, which operate in these industrial zones, is crucial. The Busan Metropolitan Government will need to foster public-private partnerships that encourage businesses to adopt sustainable practicesand cooperate with restoration initiatives. In addition, ensuring sufficient funding for these projects will be essential to their success, as large-scale cleanup operations, infrastructural improvements, and community development programs can be costly.
Another critical element for success is community engagement. Local residents must be actively involved in the planning and development process to ensure that these restored spaces meet their needs and foster a sense of ownership and pride in their neighborhoods.
The success of the Oncheoncheon-Suyeonggang restoration demonstrates the significant positive impact that waterway reconnections can have on urban environments. By expanding similar restoration efforts to western Busan’s streams—Samrakcheon, Hakjangcheon, and Goejeongcheon—the city has the opportunity to address both environmental degradation and the development divide between its eastern and western regions.
These projects would not only improve water quality and biodiversity but also create new public spaces, improve urban livability, and foster economic growth through eco-friendly development. For Busan to continue its path toward becoming a sustainable and resilient city, it is essential that both the government and the public fully support and prioritize these restoration initiatives, ensuring a more connected and environmentally sound future for all residents.
