Fri, Aug 08, 2014 page4

• Council head tells of Morakot efforts

  SUCCESS STORY: A total of 124 bridges, and more than 1,100 schools and 3,500 houses have been rebuilt in the areas affected by the destructive typhoon in 2009

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  After Typhoon Morakot triggered Taiwan’s worst flooding in 50 years in 2009, the head of the Cabinet-level Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council was sent to two of the worst-hit townships, where he was faced with a difficult choice — evacuate tens of thousands of residents, or try to fix drainage problems in seven days.

  Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council chief executive Chern Jenn-chuan (陳振川) chose the latter, but said the outcome could have been a different story.

  Linbian Township (林邊) and Jiadong Township (佳冬) in Pingtung County were covered in thick sand and silt after the typhoon. Taiwan was at the time also under the threat of A(H1N1) influenza, or swine flu, so it was imperative to remove the floodwater from the streets as quickly as possible to prevent an outbreak of the disease, Chern said in an interview ahead of the fifth anniversary of the disaster.

  After he made the decision, roads were closed, machinery sent in, soldiers mobilized and all government efforts put in place to fix the major drainage problems in the rural townships, Chern said.

  In the end, the task was completed within a week, but had there been an outbreak of H1N1, “I would not be sitting here,” said the 60-year-old, who is also a professor at National Taiwan University’s Department of Civil Engineering.

  Another critical decision Chern said the government made after the disaster was to give the silt and sand — which is government property according to law — to grouper breeders in the two townships, to use in rebuilding their fish farms which were destroyed by the typhoon.

  This not only helped revive the devastated grouper industry in the townships, but also helped the government find a place to dispose of the large amount of debris, Chern said.

  However, government efforts alone were not enough. Companies and non-profit organizations also played a major role in the reconstruction, Chern said.

  For example, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) built bamboo and tea processing factories in the mountainous Ali-shan area in southern Taiwan to help Aboriginal communities develop businesses suitable to the local environment, Chern said.

  TSMC and the Taipei Astronomical Museum also worked with the council to help set up a stargazing facility in Chiayi County’s Tanayiku Valley, a conservation area for the Tsou Aboriginal community that suffered severe damage from Morakot.

  The company donated telescopes and other equipment, while the museum helped train local residents, Chern said.

  “After the disaster, all of the bridges were destroyed and the valley was destroyed. Many people believed it would never recover,” Chern said.

  He added that the valley has since reclaimed its beauty and is now a popular stargazing location.

  However, the reconstruction process was not always smooth, Chern added.

  In the beginning, Aboriginal groups in the area, who made up approximately 75 percent of the affected residents, did not trust the government, he said.

  It took time and a lot of communication with tribal heads, village elders and religious representatives before trust was finally established, Chern said.

  It was also difficult convincing people to relocate to permanent houses built after the typhoon, as many wanted to stay where their ancestors had lived, he said.

  However, five years later, most of the villagers have moved into permanent housing and a survey has shown that 90 percent of the residents are satisfied with their new living environment, he said.

  Even so, Chern said, there is still room for improvement. For example, there are employment opportunities for only 50 percent of the workforce in the new communities, he said, adding that the government is trying to help residents develop ecotourism and cultural and creative businesses to boost job growth.

  Typhoon Morakot brought torrential rain that triggered flooding and massive landslides in central and southern Taiwan in August 2009, leaving nearly 700 people dead or missing.

  Over the past five years, the government, along with companies and non-profit organizations, have jointly built more than 3,500 permanent houses and 124 bridges, and have repaired and rebuilt more than 1,100 schools in the affected areas, according to the council.

  A permanent exhibition chronicling the difficult post-typhoon reconstruction process is set to open today at the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung.

  It is to showcase artifacts and documents, including 42 books, eight documentaries and 11 short films, to educate the public on the disaster and the reconstruction efforts, according to the council, which is to be disbanded on Aug. 29 after five years of operation.

  “It is important to pass on the experience,” Chern said.
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