Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Thursday called on central government agencies to improve data sharing with the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) to mitigate damage caused by natural disasters, and assist farms and fisheries.
The nation’s limited area and diverse terrain makes weather forecasting and analysis crucial to water conservation, harvesting and event planning, Su said after the bureau gave a presentation at a weekly Cabinet meeting in Taipei.
Government agencies should collaborate more closely with the bureau, which in turn should disseminate useful data collected to the agencies and the public, he added.
Weather forecasting in Taiwan rates well internationally, but the bureau should continually improve the application of weather data by, for example, predicting reservoir levels to determine when to open floodgates or tracking typhoons to harvest crops before they hit to avoid flood damage, he said.
The data derived from weather forecasts are also essential to the nation’s offshore fisheries, Su added.
In the spirit of “paying tribute to the mountains,” a policy that he has introduced over the past year, Su said that accurate and timely weather forecasts are crucial for those assessing the risks of going mountain climbing or engaging in water activities.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said that the council has been the “greatest benefactor” of weather forecasts, which help farmers safeguard more than NT$1 billion (US$33.9 million) in agricultural products each year.
For example, thanks to weather data, the council could warn farmers that a southwesterly jet stream would bring many downpours, he added.
Meteorological data, when combined with big data, the Internet of Things and 5G applications, could contribute to improving disaster mitigation, as well as prevention and relief, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
The bureau could aim to employ such technology to provide agencies with customized weather data, he said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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