Taiwan gave the international community a lesson in tackling urban flooding yesterday as more than 170 countries gathered at the 3rd World Water Forum in the Japanese city of Kyoto.
The Water Resources Agency (WRA) presented three reports on flood mitigation in urban areas at the triennial international meeting, offering valuable suggestions taken from past experience.
WRA Director Hwang Jing-san (黃金山), leader of Taiwan's 30-strong delegation to the forum, said the flood mitigation strategy in Taipei deserved to be heard by a wider audience because it has been adopted by a national capital.
Lee Hong-yuan (
Lee said those strategies included building detention ponds (small dam created to hold back an excessive amount of rain fall in a short period of time), revising land-use regulations and establishing a sound flood-insurance system.
Lee said that Taipei has been victim to a series of floods since 1997. Lee said, however,that Typhoon Nari in 2001 exposed the country's shortcomings in flood prevention.
"We would like to share our know-how on flood-warning systems, but also hopefully learn about non-engineering strategies from others," Lee said.
Lee Tim-hau (
"We believe that a transnational collaborative mechanism on rainfall precipitation is needed not only by Taiwan but also the Philippines and Vietnam," Lee said.
The WRA's presentation interested participants, especially those from nations with similar environmental problems to Taiwan.
F. L. Bussink from the Netherlands' Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, said in his country people were told to believe in engineering. Bussink added, however, that recent urban flooding in his country demonstrates that engineering is not a cure-all.
Bussink stressed the importance of reshaping old-fashioned engineering concepts and educating the public.
"All measures need political support. However, the government should tell people the truth," Bussink said.
DPP lawmaker Eugene Jao (趙永清), who attended the forum in Kyoto yesterday, said that Taiwan's active participation in the forum demonstrates the country's ambition to keep up with sustainable-development issues.
Hwang said that Taiwan is facing the same water challenges as others, such as increased flooding, water-supply shortages, ongoing development, worsening urbanization, over pumping of ground water and increased costs of maintaining water sources.
Hwang said, however, that participation in the forum was a good chance for Taiwan to review the problems that are unique to the country.
"For example, how could the sewer system in an industrialized country like Taiwan be so poor?" Hwang said.
In 2000, according to government statistics, the average sewer connection ratio in Taiwan was only 7.2 percent. Even in the Taipei metropolitan area, the ratio was only 48.
In Kaohsiung, the nation's second largest city, the ratio is 7.2 percent. In the rest of the country, the ratio is 0.6 percent.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS