Over the past few days, water has become the nation's main public policy issue. Taoyuan County has been without water for two weeks. Promised dates for restoration of water supply have been repeatedly changed, turning life for local residents into a protracted nightmare.
The water supply is gradually being restored. But the problem with sedimentation in the Shihmen Reservoir and the fact that pipelines currently being installed are only meant for temporary use are issues that still need permanent solutions. What's more, a previously ignored southwesterly air current has brought over 700mm of precipitation in just half a day, causing floods that have affected hundreds of thousands of residents in the greater Taipei area. The El Nino phenomenon is affecting global weather, intensifying both precipitation and droughts. The country continues to suffer wind and rain-induced disaster. As a preventive measure, the government should immediately take responsibility for the overall planning of water resources.
Although the water shortage in Taoyuan is the result of a natural disaster, it has highlighted shortcomings in the nation's infrastructure. In addition to local residents suffering from the water shortage, companies in Taoyuan County's industrial parks have suffered losses exceeding NT$5 billion (US$148 million). This is an unacceptable phenomenon that should not occur in a country calling itself modern.
As central and local government officials try to blame each other for the situation, overworked water company workers are subjected to the complaints of residents -- and some have even paid with their lives in the effort to fulfill their duties. No one can predict what the next natural disaster will bring. Can the government continue to ignore the situation?
Much of water conservancy planning was designed to meet the situation decades ago, and is now too outdated to cope with current needs and environment. If our government can't implement updated preventive measures, not even the public's most basic needs can be guaranteed. The government should take a broad view of land use and water resource allocation when planning the nation's overall infrastructure, in order to prevent future disasters from happening.
Constant storms and floods have resulted in continuous natural disasters. Some people believe the reason for this to be land misuse and overexploitation. Others directly blame political competition and administrative neglect for paralyzing infrastructure construction. All are possible factors contributing to the severity of the disasters' aftermath. But no matter what the cause, the people of Taiwan are the direct and innocent victims, and their welfare is the government's responsibility.
In Taiwan today, people prepare sandbags to keep water out when they hear a typhoon is on the way, and go to motels to take their showers when there is a water shortage. Companies in industrial parks constantly worry about blackouts and water shortages. As long as such behavior exists, the nation is not qualified to call itself a modernized and globalized country.
After finally restoring water to every household in Taoyuan County, government officials have no time to rest. They not only need to take care of the aftermath of the flooding, but must also energize themselves to create the best possible future infrastructure plan.
Economic Affairs Minister Ho Mei-yueh (
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