SK hynix will begin a water positive project to restore the aquatic ecosystem of the Namdaecheon river in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. SK hynix said on Thursday it signed an MOU with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Yangyang County, Korea Water Resources Corp and Korea Environment Corp for the “Gangwon Yangyang Namdaecheon ageing weir improvement” project. Water positive refers to the concept of returning more water to nature than a company uses, contributing to sustainable water management.

The public-private cooperation will be carried out with the government designing related policy, public institutions identifying restoration projects and companies taking part. SK hynix plans to improve ageing weirs in the Namdaecheon, the country’s largest spawning ground for migratory fish, to secure river flow and create fish habitats to restore continuity in the aquatic ecosystem. The project period runs from 2026 to 2037.

Namdaecheon is the country’s largest river for returning salmon, but it has faced an ecosystem crisis in which salmon cannot return to spawning grounds due to ageing weirs and changes in water flow. The ageing weirs are cited as a key reason the continuity of the aquatic ecosystem has been broken. SK hynix plans to restore waterways so salmon can return through the project.

Positive effects are also expected for the local community along with the recovery of the aquatic ecosystem. Creating a pleasant riverside environment is expected to improve living conditions for residents and raise the value of returning salmon as a tourism resource, contributing to revitalising the local economy. The project is evaluated as a model of shared growth in which corporate environmental activities in an era of climate crisis are linked to local communities and the natural environment.

Lee Byeong-gi (이병기), head of mass production at SK hynix and chief production officer, said, “This project will become an example showing that a company’s water positive activities can be a ‘tool for shared growth’ that grows together with the local community and the natural environment.” He added, “SK hynix will continue sincere activities to protect water resources.”