This year's Environment Ministers Meeting ended yesterday with the signing of a declaration by Taiwan and seven Latin American countries agreeing to jointly devote themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Taiwan will work closely with the other signatories to preserve forests, increase energy efficiency, seek alternative energy sources and monitor the environment.
"Today's the happiest day of my life," the Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Chang Kow-lung (
Chang said Taiwan's cooperation with these countries had been following the market allocation model, or the MARKAL model, which is an analytical tool developed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) to help countries manage energy use.
Since each country now faced fresh challenges, such as global climate change, a new strategy needed to be delivered, he said.
"The declaration covers a broader scope of issues and at the same time provides concrete action plans," he said.
Costa Rican Environment Minister Roberto Dobles, who is also the chairman of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD), said that the declaration had created new challenges as well as new opportunities and invited Taiwan to invest in major environmental projects.
"We believe that the environment will eventually benefit from our efforts," Dobles said.
According to the declaration, Taiwan will establish an office within eight months to make direct contacts with each of the signatories of the declaration, namely Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
The EPA will seek to cooperate with these countries on potentially viable environmental and energy projects. It will also incorporate initiatives from the nation's public and private sectors to execute such projects.
During the two-day meeting, the administration also held bilateral meetings with each signatory.
As a result, the EPA discussed the possibility of establishing an environmental engineering department at the National University of Belize.
It also exchanged views with other countries about several crucial issues, such as monitoring air and water pollution, genetic engineering and recycling.
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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