Nanjido

Nanjido

Geography
Location	Seoul, South Korea
Coordinates	37°34′11″N 126°52′50″E

Nanjido (Korean: 난지도; Hanja: 蘭芝島; lit. orchid island) was an island on a branch of the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It has since become part of the mainland.

It was once host to a large landfill for the city. Work was then performed to reduce the environmental impact of the landfill. This has resulted in plants and animals returning to the area, and the creation of the large World Cup Park there, which was established in 2002.

History

Construction began on an embankment for the island on January 7, 1977. As a result of this work, the island joined the mainland.

Between 1978 and 1993, Nanjido was used as a municipal landfill for Seoul. By the end of its use, it had accumulated a large amount of waste. Work was then performed to reduce the environmental impact of the waste disposed of there. A wide variety of techniques, including waterproof barriers, methane gas collection, and the planting of plants, were employed. Collected gas is reportedly burned for heating.

These efforts have reportedly been successful. Plants and animals have moved back onto the land, and there are now five different public parks that host 9.8 million visitors per year. The five parks are equipped with conservation facilities for further revival of diversified ecological system.

External links

• Seoul Worldcup Park
• Seoul Metropolitan Government Hangang Project Headquarters