Gyeongsangnam-do declares agricultural water drought emergency as reservoirs drop

The South Korean province of Gyeongsangnam-do has placed 11 of its 18 cities and counties in the "alert" stage of its agricultural‑water drought emergency as reservoir levels fell to an average of 37.5%, well below the usual 50% threshold. The alert includes the cities of Mil‑yang, Yang‑san, Uiryeong, San‑cheong, Chang‑won, Geo‑je, Chang‑nyeong, Ha‑dong, Jin‑ju, Gim‑hae and Ham‑an, while other areas are classified as "caution" or "interest".

The provincial government secured a total of 47.5 billion KRW—15 billion KRW in national budget funds and 32.5 billion KRW in special tax allocations—to fund emergency measures such as dredging reservoirs, installing pumps and pipelines, providing water trucks, and deploying fire‑fighting vehicles for irrigation. Additional proposals for 21 billion KRW for pump and pipeline work in Mil‑yang and 77 billion KRW for new wells have been submitted to the national Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The goal is to stabilise water supply for crops and minimise agricultural losses as the drought intensifies.