National Institute of Environmental Research
Self-Description : Edited September 2008) http://eng.nier.go.kr/
THE National Institute of Environmental Research (Nier), Korea, was reborn on July 22nd, 2005. The rebirth of Nier focuses on the functional grouping of research systems.
Previously, the research systems of Nier were organized to tackle respective environmental problems associated with separate environmental media such as air, water and waste.
This media-oriented structure had been maintained since Nier was founded in 1978. Since then, Nier has been successful in providing scientific solutions to the environmental problems; the system was efficient enough to promptly respond to simple and straightforward environmental problems.
However, as the industry and society of Korea grow at high speed, the environmental problems became more and more complex requiring interdisciplinary approaches; an environmental problem can propagate through different media such as air, water or soil interacting with each other.
The former organization of Nier, therefore, was no longer efficient to cope with complex environmental problems. Moreover, Nier has been behind in tackling the emerging environmental issues concerning global climate change and indoor environmental quality, for instance.
To address and answer environmental problems in a holistic way, Nier re-engineered the former media-oriented system into a cross-media research system.
For example, in the Environmental Diagnostics Research Department, any environmental problems can be studied simultaneously by different tools, which ultimately promotes cooperative research among the divisions of different media.
Furthermore, this functional grouping of the system has made it possible for Nier to initiate research on global environmental changes or indoor environment.
In engaging a new era of Nier’s history, the institute promises to dedicate and devote itself to meeting present and future demands for sustainable environment. This resolve will enable Nier to keep up with advanced research systems around the world.
Main Activities
- Studies to support environmental policies
- Provide scientific and technological support for establishing and enacting environmental policies
- Studies to guarantee environmental health and safety of chemical materials
- Identify environmental impacts on human health and study safety of chemical materials
- Studies on ecosystem
- Support studies to preserve nature ecosystem systematically
- Studies on environmental cap system
- Provide technological support for air pollution cap system of the Metropolitan area and water pollution cap system of the four rivers
- Studies on environmental assessment
- Develop standard assessment system and manage assessment targets
- Global-scale studies
- Study climate changes, ozone depletion, and long-range trans-boundary air pollutants such as Yellow dust