Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, Student Fellows at the Center for Security Policy Studies Korea (CSPS-Korea) conducted a unique research project under George Mason University’s Mason Impact Mini Grant titled “Enhancing Water Quality Management of Seunggi-cheon in Incheon, South Korea: A Region-focused, Low-cost, Nature-based Approach.”
Under the guidance of Dr. Dakota McCarty, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science & Policy at George Mason University Korea, and Dr. Soyoung Kwon, Associate Professor of Global Affairs and Director of CSPS-Korea, Student Fellows performed a mixed-methods approach to quantitatively assess the water quality of Seunggi-cheon, one of Incheon Metropolitan City’s streams, to better understand its current environmental conditions, and provide actionable policy suggestions.
The six Global Affairs students, comprising Eunchong Yim, Hayoung Yun, Hyunwoo Jo, Minji Alyssa Kim, Minji Kim, and Samuel Sims, focused on the stream given its neighboring of various residential and industrial zones with an emphasis on water security. Researching the possible threats posed by various pollutants such as those carried by rainwater or due to construction near the stream, the project recognizes the importance of heavy metals and industrial pollutants in a densely populated area such as Incheon.
Based on challenges of past policies to improve the stream’s water pollution and quality, the Fellows came with the aim to propose effective, low-cost, nature-based, or community-based solutions for sustainable management. In doing so, they conducted a thorough literature review on past policies and took water samples throughout the stream, quantitatively analyzing the data with the assistance of computer vision and through geographically weighted regressions (GWR).
Based on their analysis, they find that the effectiveness of water quality management strategies may differ along the stream, emphasizing the importance of locality and the interactions of various environmental factors that impact the stream’s water quality. They suggest nature-based, community-based solutions, based on those within the European Union and United States, as a cost-effective approach that could be utilized and applied in Seunggi-cheon to improve water security in the region.
This research was presented in the Fall 2024 Mason Korea Student Project Showcase on November 26, 2024 for the Mason Korea community to see, bringing in valuable community and academic insight into their project. Furthermore, the Fellows aim to publish their research in an academic journal to not only address the needs of the Incheon Metropolitan City but also provide much-needed discourse in the areas of water security and environmental research.