According to the Environmen-tal Protection Administration's (EPA, 環保署) latest report on Taiwan's 20 major reservoirs -- the principal sources of drinking water -- the water quality in these reservoirs has clearly declined. Major reservoirs island-wide, such as Fongshan (鳳山), Chengching Lake (澄清湖), Wushantou (烏山頭), Tsengwen (曾文), Liyutan (鯉魚潭), Jenyitan (仁義潭) and Feitsui (翡翠), are all facing a serious eutrophication (優養化) phenomenon, that is, the water is becoming increasingly rich in mineral and organic nutrients, causing a proliferation of plant life, such as algae. What should consumers do?
The health of everyone in Taiwan is directly influenced by the quality of drinking water, which is in turn determined to a great extent by our management of water. Water management in Taiwan faces many difficulties due to the country's unique natural environment. Located on the circum-Pacific seismic belt between Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, the island has a tropical monsoon climate as a result of the combined influences of the world's largest continent and the world's largest ocean.
The annual average rainfall is as much as 2,000mm, which mostly falls in the rainy season from May to June and the typhoon season from July to September. Hence, the chances of torrential rains during these months are very high. The drainage area of most rivers and lakes is less than 100km2, while the average slope of the rivers is steep. Consequently, the catchment areas' water storage capacity is very limited.
On the other hand, Taiwan faces many man-made difficul-ties, such as the excessive
development and unrestrained deforestation frequently seen near water supplies, which seriously damage local water and land conserva-tion.
Illegal water dumps from animal farms, local communities and industry make the situation worse, like "adding frost on top of snow"
Although water is considered a recyclable resource, water storage is often affected by climate, local geography and other natural factors. Taiwan's limited water resources, moreover, are often damaged by humans to the point at which they can no longer be healed by Mother Nature.
To deal with both the natural and man-made difficulties affecting water management in Taiwan, I suggest the following:
First, the nation's limited water supply must be distributed and used in the most efficient manner.
Second, both water and land conservation and the laws against pollution of water resources and their surrounding regions must be enforced.
Third, the government should speed up the construction of the underground sewer system to improve local sewage treatment.
Fourth, an inter-departmental water resources and water quality protection task force should be established.
Fifth, the government units in charge of water purification, should improve the facilities and procedures used in purification, as well as speed up the replacement of water pipes and so on.
Let us hope that we can fulfill our dream of enabling all the people of Taiwan to enjoy clean water in the 21st century.
Cheng Jen-hung is a professor at the Chinese Culture University and the deputy secretary-general of the Consumers' Foundation.
Translated by Eddy Chang
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By withdrawing USAID’s presence, Washington is creating a vacuum that China is eager to fill, a shift that will directly weaken Taiwan’s international position while emboldening Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taipei. USAID has been a crucial player in countering China’s global expansion, particularly in regions where
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
With the manipulations of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), it is no surprise that this year’s budget plan would make government operations difficult. The KMT and the TPP passing malicious legislation in the past year has caused public ire to accumulate, with the pressure about to erupt like a volcano. Civic groups have successively backed recall petition drives and public consensus has reached a fever-pitch, with no let up during the long Lunar New Year holiday. The ire has even breached the mindsets of former staunch KMT and TPP supporters. Most Taiwanese have vowed to use
Despite the steady modernization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the international community is skeptical of its warfare capabilities. Late last month, US think tank RAND Corp published two reports revealing the PLA’s two greatest hurdles: personnel challenges and structural difficulties. The first RAND report, by Jennie W. Wenger, titled Factors Shaping the Future of China’s Military, analyzes the PLA’s obstacles with recruitment, stating that China has long been committed to attracting young talent from top universities to augment the PLA’s modernization needs. However, the plan has two major constraints: demographic changes and the adaptability of the PLA’s military culture.