Since 2000, central and southern Taiwan have experienced severe droughts every two to three years. Water restrictions must often be implemented and, regrettably, they have become routine. Building new reservoirs is a possible solution, but in mountainous areas few locations are suitable for construction.
New reservoir projects in such regions would damage river valleys and forests. It is also extremely difficult to maintain a reservoir’s capacity due to siltation. In short, building a reservoir in mountainous areas is not feasible.
Ahead of the 2020 elections, the Taiwan Solidarity Union proposed constructing new reservoirs in waters near the west coast. That proposal deserves more attention and further discussion.
Coastal reservoirs are far from unique. Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore use them to enhance their fresh water storage capacity.
Coastal reservoirs require dikes to separate the reservoir area from the sea. Sand and clay would need to be dredged from the nearby shallow sea bed. Penghu County’s Chenggong Reservoir (成功水庫) and Kinmen County’s Cihhu Reservoir (慈湖水庫) are two examples of such reservoirs.
A possible coastal reservoir could be constructed in western Taiwan off Yunlin and Chiayi counties. To do so, first a 3km-long, 10m-high embankment dam would be built from the Aogu Wetlands (鰲鼓溼地) in Chiayi’s Dongshih Township (東石) to the northern tip of the Waisanding Sandbar (外傘頂洲).
Next, a 12.5km-long, 10m-high embankment dam would be constructed from Budai Harbor (布袋港) to the southern tip of the Waisanding Sandbar.
After the two embankment dams are completed, the Waisanding Sandbar would become a 14km-long, 3km-wide plot, which would be covered with silt and sediment dredged from the Jhuoshuei River (濁水溪), Zengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) and other reservoirs.
After Waisanding Sandbar is turned into a semi-artificial island, not only can trees be planted, but wind turbines can be built there. The island would then become a forest area that also generates renewable energy.
Finally, the Puzih River (朴子溪) and Lioujiao Township’s (六腳) drainage ditch would be diverted to the sea via the Beigang River (北港溪).
If a reservoir is built off central and southern Taiwan, water shortages could be addressed, while also adding more renewable energy sources. The nation would have a freshwater reservoir covering an area of 120km2, and its storage capacity would exceed about 1 billion tonnes, 300 million tonnes more than the Zengwen Reservoir. That would mean that the new coastal reservoir would be the nation’s largest.
Based on the preceding construction outline, it would also provide Taiwan with a 40km2 forest that could be used to generate wind power.
The reservoir would greatly expand Taiwan’s water storage capacity, which is currently 2.1 billion tonnes, and allow for the capture of up 1 billion tonnes of rainwater during the typhoon season. Taiwan currently loses about 70 percent of the rainwater brought by typhoons every year.
The coastal reservoir could also relieve some land subsidence problems caused by excessive groundwater extraction along the south-central coast. The new reservoir can also be used as a recreation area for windsurfing, lakeshore and waterfront activities.
This would be a large-scale project that requires further planning. Hopefully, academics and government officials will join the discussion and help realize the proposal.
Lau Yi-te is chairman of the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Translated by Emma Liu
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