Global warming is happening gradually in Taiwan and the government should establish a dedicated office to address it, WeatherRisk Co weather director Chia Hsin-hsing (賈新興) said yesterday.
Taiwan saw its warmest winter last year and extreme rain in recent years demonstrates the impact of global warming, so the government should see climate change as a threat to national security and show its determination to handle it, Chia said.
The most significant impact on Taiwan is increasing temperatures, regardless of season, he said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City High Riverbank Construction Management Office
Global warming caused more frequent heavy rain in short periods in the past three years, with afternoon thundershowers often bringing more than 70mm per hour, leading to serious flooding, he said.
Studies in other countries suggest that rising global temperatures would lead to reduced productivity, affecting economic growth, he said.
Global warming can also cause public health problems, with studies showing that rising temperatures can lead to increased mosquito breeding at higher latitudes, which might result in dengue fever spreading farther, he said.
The average sea level is rising and seawater is acidifying due to increased carbon dioxide, which also affects coral growth and shellfish, he said.
Climate change is mainly caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, especially from the energy industry, Chia said.
While many countries have adopted stricter emissions regulations, Taiwan still has a lot of room for improvement, he said.
For Taiwan to better adapt to the changing climate, the government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve spatial planning.
It should also place more emphasis on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which would show greater determination to deal with the threat, he said.
Alexandra Bilak, director of the Switzerland-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, said that hazards caused by extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and intense, the New York Times reported last week.
Extreme weather events would also cause more harm to countries with high poverty rates and low adaptability to climate change, such as the Bahamas, and even those that have lower greenhouse gas emissions might sustain greater damage, Bilak said.
Global warming is said to directly affect human health, with a study published last year in The Lancet saying that flooding and drought cause crop failure, food shortages and even famine, while rising temperatures might increase the risk of disease transmission.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has said the world is facing its greatest-ever threat, with hunger, climate-driven migration, economic growth and political instability problems that need to be addressed.
Additional reporting by Lo Chi
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
RSS