Daejeon Aspiring to be Model of Leading Eco-Friendly City as Response to Climate Change

THE city of Daejeon has decided to take the city’s climate commitment further. Putting priorities on air quality improvement, urban water cycle management, and ecological environment restoration, the city has aspired to be model of leading eco-friendly city and to be recognised by global society from its practices. The city has shown its commitment through development of policies and relevant supporting programmes.

Air Quality Improvement Policy: Progress, Results

City of Daejeon established ‘Fine Dust Respond Strategy 2.0’ in 2019 after complementing programmes that include 11 strategies and 29 practical tasks to reduce 480 tons of ultrafine dust emission (20% of reduction compared to the emission rate in 2015) and achieve an annual ultrafine dust concentration of 17㎍/㎥ by 2022.

Daejeon also implemented ‘Seasonal Management System’ to protect citizens’ health from high concentrations of fine dust during the vulnerable period. In addition, the city implemented alternative no-driving day system for vehicles in public institutions, designated and operated 88 fine dust prevention shelters, used dust-absorbing trucks to inhale the fine dust on the roads, restricted driving of 10,000 high emissions gas grade vehicles, attached diesel particulate filters to 2,000 vehicles, and provided 1600 electric cars and 400 electric motorcycles.

  • Results as of 2020

After Seasonal Management System applied, the air quality in Daejeon has shown good improvement:

  1. Average concentration rate of ultrafine dust
City/District Last year

(December 2018~March 2019)

This period

(December 2019~March 2020)

Reduction rate compared to the same period last year
Entire Country 33 24 27.3%
Daejeon 34 23 32.4%
  1. Unhealthy/Good days on ultrafine dust condition
City/District Unhealthy Days Good Days
Last Year

(December 2018~March 2019)

This Period

(December 2019~March 2020)

Last Year

(December 2018~March 2019)

This Period

(December 2019~March 2020)

Entire Country 35 22 13 28
Daejeon 41 13 15 30

Green Projects – Green New Deal

Daejeon is also focusing on developing a smart green city through creation of a sustainable low-carbon society. To pursue this, Daejeon connects the urban ecology and green axis and recovers water circulation in the city. The works are coordinated through its two green projects.

  1. Green City Forest: Urban Ecology and Green Axis Connection Project

Urban Ecology and Green Axis Connection, is a project to create urban forest roads and sky forest roads in the city. This project is developed as a response to heat waves experience. Through the Green City Forest project, city will develop cultural spaces, walking trails, landscape lightings, combinations of public art and road painting, and benches. High altitude crosswalks will also be installed to activate walking routes. Over the next eight years, Daejeon plans to make the city greener, where citizens can find shelter, take a rest, and enjoy culture more conveniently and safely.

*Map of the Local Projects

  1. Creation of a ‘Water Circulation Leading City’

Daejeon is also promoting a pilot project for water circulation. This project is expected to improve the water environment through construction of Low Impact Development (LID) facilities. This project is started from September 2020 and will continue until the end of next year.

  • Layout of LID facilities in the city

LID is a method to decrease opaque water surface and minimise the rainfall outflow which restores water circulation function. LID facilities will be installed in areas with the widest distribution of opaque water in Daejeon. There will be bio-retention, grassed waterway, bioswales, and porous pavement installed according to the characteristics of each project spaces. The facilities will reduce rainfall runoff and non-point pollution source and restore water circulation functions by preventing penetration, outflow, and evaporation of rainfall.

LID Facilities in Daejeon

  1. Infiltration Type
  2. Vegetation Type

    Through this pilot project, the percentage of impervious area in the city decreased from 74.64 percent to 66.07 percent, and 230,000 tons of rainwater runoff reduced until October 2020. However, increase in recovery rate of water circulation, from 39.06 percent to 50.13 percent, has provided opportunities for further improvement in the future.Daejeon, the upcoming host city of UCLG World Congress 2022, will continue taking lead in creating an eco-friendly city, putting emphasis on the co-existence of citizens and nature.