Senior government officials from Asian countries are learning about water management from Korea’s water resources public corporation, or K-water, according to Seoul officials Sunday.

K-water started last month a three-week workshop about water management and control. Those attending are sixteen officials from seven Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines. 

According to K-water officials, the workshop was launched to share Korea’s expertise on effective water resource administration with water agency officials from abroad.

The training sessions involve lectures on how to cope with climate change and sustainable water management. The participants also plan to go on field trips to water control facilities such as the National Groundwater Information Center and Daecheong Dam.

Thailand’s official Nitiphan Trongkarndee was quoted as telling K-water that it is “impressive to see Korea’s advanced water management system and technology.”

“We would like to adopt a master plan like Korea’s, to redeem our system,” Trongkarndee added.

Many Southeast Asian nations are known to be rich in water resources, but suffer from floods and lack of drinking water due to poor water control systems.

K-water officials said that the program encourages ASEAN countries to learn from the Korean model and find the right solution for their home countries.

The workshop will last until the first week of August.

By Song Ji-won (jiwon.song@heraldcorp.com)