There are lessons we can learn from the 921 earthquake which can turn despair into hope. The crises can be turned into an opportunity for betterment.
The 921 earthquake highlighted issues about the efficiency and effectiveness of the government's disaster prevention and relief. From central to local levels, from ministries to townships, everyone must take a share in disaster prevention and relief, but at the present time, there is no system through which this responsibility can be shared.
Apart from earthquakes, there are many other types of natural and man-made disasters: there are nuclear accidents, epidemics, chemical disasters, fires, floods and storms. If more than one disaster comes at the same time, I am afraid our existing disaster prevention and relief system may be unable to cope.
In addition, Taiwan is constantly under the threat of a Chinese military attack. If a war in the Taiwan Strait coincides with another natural or man-made disaster, we would have to deal with the difficult, dual task of supporting the front line while stabilizing the rear. This fact is unsettling, because if it had not been for the all-out efforts of the military in disaster relief, the aftermath of the earthquake would have been even more dreadful. If a war and a natural disaster occur at the same time, or if a war triggers another disaster, the military will hardly have time for disaster relief.
Incorporating Taiwan's civil defense mechanism into disaster relief could be the answer. From the current military viewpoint, civil defense is passive. Its emphasis is on preparation and training for damage control in time of war. It is simply part of an overall military deterrence. However, defining civil defense in purely military terms is a waste of resources, and during peacetime, this "unused preparedness" cannot prove its worth.
Many countries around the world are leaning toward a broader interpretation of civil defense, expanding its scope to include disaster relief. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be the best example of a national-level relief strategy covering -- in addition to war -- nuclear and biochemical disasters, fires, floods, storms and earthquakes. If the same equipment can be put to use both in wartime and peacetime, then we have a dependable program for handling more than one crisis at a time.
According to US statistics, more than 50 percent of disasters involve the responsibility of five or more federal government agencies -- up to 10 agencies in cases of serious disasters. From this, we can see the need for a specialized central agency to coordinate between government and civil defense institutions in order for disaster relief work to be effective.
Within a civil defense mechanism, work can be divided into three phases: preparation and training; rescue and relief; and reconstruction. Each of these phases needs close coordination between government, civic organizations and the general public. Vertical and horizontal cooperation between government agencies is also an important factor. When a disaster breaks out, a large number of civil defense units and rescue organizations will be involved in the relief work. And of course, there will be a national mobilization in case of war. Relying solely on firefighters during a disaster like the 921 earthquake is clearly not enough.
RSS