Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue. It has become a burning national security issue. Extreme weather threatens all aspects of Taiwan’s survival. In the face of this all-encompassing challenge, Taiwan must think outside the box and include climate action in national security plans.
Climate change is a national security issue for several reasons. Taiwan is an export-driven economy: The semiconductor industry is key to the global supply chain, and wafer manufacturing requires a stable supply of water and electricity. However, unpredictable rainfall has become the new normal, driving already limited water resources to the brink. A technology park shutting down due to water and electricity shortages would devastate the economy and jeopardize the global supply chain.
The green transformation carries hidden geopolitical risks. Green industries, such as electric vehicles and energy storage, require an increasing amount of lithium, cobalt and other rare earth minerals. However, these strategic resources, often sourced from a handful of countries, could sway the geopolitical battle between the US and China. If Taiwan fails to secure alternative suppliers and establish recycling mechanisms, energy transformation could hinder national security and development.
Climate change brings more than natural disasters; it tests resilience. Taiwan is a small and populous country; even with heavy rainfall, Taiwan has long been troubled by water storage issues. Competition among agricultural, industrial and domestic water is likely to intensify.
Climate disasters drive mass migration. Taiwan has long relied on migrant workers, from countries like Vietnam and the Philippines that are prone to climate disaster. Climate refugees could shock Taiwan’s labor market; they could also strain social welfare, education and healthcare systems, not to mention humanitarian rescue efforts.
Nevertheless, with crises come opportunities. Globally, Taiwan maintains technological advantages in many fields, such as semiconductors, information technology, disaster prevention and energy conservation.
If Taiwan could wield its technological advantages by investing in smart grids, efficient energy storage systems, water management, climate alerts and other key technologies, it would become resilient. Taiwan could become a climate tech hub in the Asia-Pacific region, providing stability and a model for climate governance around the world.
While Taiwan has been excluded from many international organizations, climate diplomacy provides a new opportunity to increase our international presence. By exchanging ideas with other cities, organizations and academic institutions, we can share the nation’s experiences in weather technology, disaster prevention and renewable energy with other partners. These would deepen relations with other Asia-Pacific nations, bolster Taiwan’s diplomatic power, expand its international influence and build mutually beneficial partnerships.
When climate change becomes a national security issue, traditional governance no longer suffices. The government should establish an intergovernmental network, and draft a multifaceted and visionary plan for national security and climate change, which could lay out strategies for water distribution, energy transformation, industrial development, social security and diplomacy.
Climate change is a battle for survival; we have no choice but to brave through. Taiwan must face the risks and treat it as a national security issue. Only then can the nation remain steady amid a turbulent future, ensuring the wellbeing of its residents and its long-term development.
Su Wei-cheng is a lecturer and a former secretary of the president of the Legislative Yuan.
Translated by Cayce Pan
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) challenges and ignores the international rules-based order by violating Taiwanese airspace using a high-flying drone: This incident is a multi-layered challenge, including a lawfare challenge against the First Island Chain, the US, and the world. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) defines lawfare as “controlling the enemy through the law or using the law to constrain the enemy.” Chen Yu-cheng (陳育正), an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of China Military Affairs Studies, at Taiwan’s Fu Hsing Kang College (National Defense University), argues the PLA uses lawfare to create a precedent and a new de facto legal
Chile has elected a new government that has the opportunity to take a fresh look at some key aspects of foreign economic policy, mainly a greater focus on Asia, including Taiwan. Still, in the great scheme of things, Chile is a small nation in Latin America, compared with giants such as Brazil and Mexico, or other major markets such as Colombia and Argentina. So why should Taiwan pay much attention to the new administration? Because the victory of Chilean president-elect Jose Antonio Kast, a right-of-center politician, can be seen as confirming that the continent is undergoing one of its periodic political shifts,
In the first year of his second term, US President Donald Trump continued to shake the foundations of the liberal international order to realize his “America first” policy. However, amid an atmosphere of uncertainty and unpredictability, the Trump administration brought some clarity to its policy toward Taiwan. As expected, bilateral trade emerged as a major priority for the new Trump administration. To secure a favorable trade deal with Taiwan, it adopted a two-pronged strategy: First, Trump accused Taiwan of “stealing” chip business from the US, indicating that if Taipei did not address Washington’s concerns in this strategic sector, it could revisit its Taiwan
Taiwan’s long-term care system has fallen into a structural paradox. Staffing shortages have led to a situation in which almost 20 percent of the about 110,000 beds in the care system are vacant, but new patient admissions remain closed. Although the government’s “Long-term Care 3.0” program has increased subsidies and sought to integrate medical and elderly care systems, strict staff-to-patient ratios, a narrow labor pipeline and rising inflation-driven costs have left many small to medium-sized care centers struggling. With nearly 20,000 beds forced to remain empty as a consequence, the issue is not isolated management failures, but a far more
RSS