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Lake project could solve a host of water woes

Global warming is not only now causing glaciers to melt and oceans to rise, but will also create extreme weather in the future. This means that the intensity of torrential rains will increase and droughts will be prolonged.

China has banned gravel exports to Taiwan, causing prices of construction materials to rise sharply as supply falls short of demand.

What can we do?

The government wants more overseas tourists. But does the nation have major marine attractions that can compare with the beauty of Sun Moon Lake and and encourage visitors to linger?

The government wants to balance development in the north and south of Taiwan and bridge the gap between city and countryside. But are there any projects that can be implemented to resolve these imbalances?

The good news is that there is an answer to these questions: the Kao-Ping Great Lake development project is ready for implementation and can connect these seemingly unrelated problems.

The project has passed an environmental impact assessment and has been approved by the Cabinet. All that is left is for the legislature to allocate a budget. It would be a pity to see another good development project fall flat for lack of financing.

The Kao-Ping Great Lake is a good water resources project because the area meets several conditions for an artificial lake.

First, there is sufficient good-quality water.

Second, the geology of the area is such that water will not seep through the bottom of the lake, which would make it unsuitable for storage.

Third, the area's underground water level is perfect. In areas where the water level is too high, reservoirs cannot be dug very deep, limiting water storage, while in areas where underground water is too low, ground water cannot replenish the reservoir.

Fourth, the Kao-Ping Great Lake project is cost-efficient. Artificial lake construction requires a large amount of land and engineering capability, making an artificial lake more expensive than building a reservoir. Artificial lakes also require long-term maintenance. However, artificial lakes are still more cost-efficient to build than other alternatives, particularly traditional water resource projects.

Fifth, the project has already passed an environmental impact assessment and will not affect local users of underground and surface water.

Faced with global warming and extreme weather, Taiwan needs more reservoirs. The Kao-Ping Great Lake project would would help prevent droughts; digging the lake would produce about 65 million cubic meters of gravel, which could help alleviate the gravel shortage.

After completion, the project could also serve as another tourist resort and bring greater prosperity to southern Taiwan.

In addition to being opposed by environmentalists, the Kao-Ping Great Lake project has become stuck in the legislature because the issue of how the gravel would be used has not been resolved. Instead of leaving the Taiwan Sugar Farm site fallow or letting it become a garbage dump because of slack management, it would be better to review gravel policies and consider allowing the Mining Bureau to handle the matter. Alternatively, a new agency responsible for gravel mining could be set up, rather than relying on river gravel.

Water Resources Day is observed on June 6 each year. I had hoped that the legislature would celebrate by passing a budget for the Kao-Ping Great Lake project. But since it failed to do so, it seems that talk about global warming, investing in tourism infrastructure and developing the nation has all been hot air.

Chang Yen-ming is the deputy director of the Taichung branch of the Water Resources Agency.

Translated by Lin Ya-ti
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