Environment ministry pushes for global groundwater standards committee

The environment ministry said Tuesday it is holding online briefings to rally support for establishing a new international technical committee on groundwater. The National Institute of Environmental Research will host two video conferences on Aug. 25 aimed at encouraging member nations to vote in favor of the proposal.

The initiative seeks to elevate the existing groundwater sub-committee under the ISO hydrometry technical committee to standalone status to better respond to standard development needs driven by climate change adaptation. South Korea has served as the secretariat since December 2021.

Voting on the establishment began July 7 among 135 full member states and concludes Sept. 29. The final decision regarding the creation of the committee and the selection of its secretariat will be made at the ISO Technical Management Board meeting in March 2027.

If approved, the new body is expected to enhance the international standing of domestic water resource management technologies. This effort follows the submission of a formal proposal to the ISO central office in November 2025 after consensus building through a special advisory group.

"This push to establish a groundwater technical committee marks the first time South Korea has proposed a technical committee to the ISO and advanced to a member state vote," said Park Jeong-min, head of the environmental resources research department at the institute. "We will strive to secure leadership in international activities through the standardization of domestic technology by opening a platform for various nations to participate."