The ecologically friendly engineering methods used to reconstruct sites damaged by the devastating earthquake on September 21, 1999, have demonstrated advantages in restoring the natural environment, the Public Construc-tion Commission (PCC) said yesterday.
According to a report released by the Executive Yuan's 921 Earthquake Post-disaster Recovery Commission on the eve of the quake's fifth anniversary, the nation's adoption of environmentally friendly engineering methods was a distinguishing feature of its recovery efforts. The temblor measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and claimed more than 2,400 lives.
PHOTO: LIBERTY TIMES
The report said that Taiwan faces a greater challenge after major earthquakes than did the US after the 1994 Northridge quake and Japan after the 1995 Kobe earthquake because of this nation's history of exploiting mountain land.
PCC Vice Chairman Kuo Ching-chiang (
"After analyzing factors causing landslides and mudflows, we invented certain technical ways to tackle problems. Five years later we see they are successful," Kuo said.
Kuo said that at the beginning, workers searched for deep slits in the topsoil at the tops of collapsed slopes where rainwater might accumulate and eventually trigger more landslides. Once these areas were located, workers filled them with soil and gravel to stabilize the geological foundation. Later, engineering efforts were made to divert rainfall on top of slopes and establish low piles to further stabilize the fragile sites. Seeds of local species were planted to form root systems which would eventually bind slope soil against erosion.
"Recently, we've reviewed most of the construction sites in areas damaged by the 921 Earthquake and found no new natural damage," Kuo said.
As deputy executive general of the 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission in 2000, Kuo was in charge of promoting ecological engineering methods in disaster areas, and he later extended their use to other areas.
"We used engineering methods that were designed based on environmentally friendly concepts in as many places in the country as possible. People here had abused the land for decades, and it was time to heal the wounds of mother nature," Kuo said.
For example, thanks to the reconstruction of a section of Nankan River in Taoyuan County by ecological engineering methods, there was no flooding during Typhoon Aere late last month, Kuo said.
"The top of the embankment was just one meter higher than the surface of the river. If the river had not been broadened and reconstructed, people might have suffered similar flooding this time," Kuo said.
So far, there have been about 3,000 hectares of land reconstructed using ecologically friendly techniques, but there will be more as the government promotes and uses these methods, Kuo said.
"The 921 Earthquake was a turning point for Taiwan to review the relationship between humans and the environment," Kuo said.
"So far, we've used technologies prudently and wisely to preserve our land," he said.
Kuo said that Taiwan has much to contribute to global sustainable development by sharing these ideas in other nations.
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