Water is the foundation of sustainable agriculture and resilient communities. At the Regional Water Environment System Lab, we advance science-driven solutions for water resource conservation, watershed management, and agricultural water quality.

Our research addresses the most urgent hydrological challenges of our time—flood risk, drought resilience, and water quality protection—within complex watershed systems. We focus on how water moves, changes, and impacts agricultural landscapes, developing practical strategies to safeguard both water quantity and water quality for present and future generations.

By integrating artificial intelligence, big data analytics, remote sensing, and advanced hydrological modeling, we transform environmental data into actionable insights. These tools enable more accurate prediction, monitoring, and management of watershed processes, supporting climate-adaptive agriculture, precision water management, and sustainable land use practices.

Through interdisciplinary research and collaboration with stakeholders, our lab contributes to watershed conservation, agricultural sustainability, and evidence-based water policy, helping communities and decision-makers protect one of the world’s most valuable resources—clean and reliable water.

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Main research activities

At the Regional Water Environment System Lab, our work spans applied hydrology, watershed science, and agricultural water quality management across complex river basins and sub-catchments. Our current research activities include:

Assessment of current and emerging water resource issues in the Nakdong River Basin
Analysis of the impacts of agricultural water use on groundwater and surface water systems
Development of strategies for reducing agricultural non-point source pollution and supporting total maximum pollutant load (TMDL) management
Development of alternative water utilization technologies, including the reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation and river maintenance
Design and implementation of field-scale technologies to control and manage non-point source pollution in agricultural lands
Estimation of flood volume and soil loss within the Namgang Dam Basin
Collection, monitoring, and analysis of long-term water quality and flow data in the Nakdong River Basin
Estimation of design flood volumes in ungauged forested watersheds to reduce flood risks in national parks
Calibration of hydrological parameters in the HSPF model using HSPEXP evaluation indices
Comparative analysis of unit hydrograph models for estimating flood runoff in agricultural sub-catchments
Advancement of hydrological and water quality model calibration techniques for watershed-based total pollutant load management
Investigation of non-point source pollution impacts associated with golf course development
Feasibility studies on hydrology and water quality in areas undergoing national park deregistration

These research activities support data-driven watershed management, improved agricultural water practices, and science-based policy development for sustainable water resource conservation.

Collabrations

Nakdong River Office

The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers

Regional Water Environment System Lab, Room 101, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Building 456, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea

TEL. 055-772-1930 / FAX. 055-772-1939, smkim@gnu.ac.kr