A UW-Madison professor received one of South Korea's highest honors earlier this month for his work on a multibillion-dollar initiative to restore the area surrounding four major rivers in the country.
The honor, called the Order of Service Merit, is comparable to the U.S. Medal of Honor.
The professor of civil and environmental engineering, Jae Park, is a top academic advisor for the an ongoing collaboration called the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, which is dedicated to cleaning and restoring the watershed surrounding the Han River, Nakdong River, Geum River and Yeongsan River in South Korea.
The watershed is home to almost two-thirds of South Korea's population and is currently devastated by overwhelming damage to ecosystems and pollution.
The project is funded by a policy intended to stimulate the Korean economy after the 2008 financial crisis, called the "Green New Deal." The policy also aims to improve water safety and flood control.
Park used his expertise on waste removal and treatment through the use of biological processes as well as his knowledge of river restoration to make a major contribution to the project.
The Korean government first announced the project in June 2009, and it is scheduled to conclude this May. Park is currently onsite in Korea to help ensure the final months of the project will be completed successfully.
