The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday it would cooperate with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to work out a project to assist the nation's ally, Tuvalu, deal with problems caused by global climate change.
Tuvalu, one of the nation's 24 allies, is suffering from rising sea levels caused by global warming.
Increasingly intense tropical weather, rising ocean temperatures, and rising sea levels -- all documented results of global warming -- are of immediate concern for Tuvalu, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Donald Lee (
There are about 12,000 Tuvaluans live on nine coral atolls totaling 25km2 scattered over 1.3 million square kilometers of ocean south of the equator and west of the International Dateline.
At its highest point, Tuvalu is no more than 5m above sea level and some scientists say the sea could devour the country within a decade, making its residents the first casualties of climate change.
Lee said that the rise of the sea level had already forced many Tuvaluans to evacuate, many of whom had emigrated to New Zealand
"The ministry will coordinate with the EPA to work out a project to help Tuvalu cope with this disaster caused by climate change," Lee said.
Concrete details had not yet been planned, he said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese