Three government entities yesterday announced that they would jointly study the effects of global warming on the spread of disease-bearing mosquitos in Taiwan.
The study would help authorities develop a comprehensive policy response as mosquito-borne diseases are becoming more prevalent with climate change, officials from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Taipei City Government and National Mosquito-Borne Disease and Research Center told a news conference in Taipei.
The project would map the distribution of mosquito populations and project their spread to support disease control strategies, said Chen Chin-sheng (陳錦生), the convener of the center’s consultative committee.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Climate change causes drought and floods, which — especially when occurring in succession — are conducive to the spread of mosquitoes populations and mosquito-borne infections, EPA Deputy Minister Shen Chih-hsiu (沈志修) said.
Rising average temperatures and longer periods of heat have led to shifts in the distribution of Taiwan’s mosquito populations, Shen said.
The project would help city and county governments combat the insects, he added.
Scientific models predict that 50 to 60 percent of the world population would by 2085 live in areas where dengue fever is prevalent, said Huang Ching-gi (黃旌集), an assistant researcher at the center.
The models show that the risk of dengue fever transmission in northern Taiwan would increase significantly by 2050, he said.
Climate change is correlated to higher risk of dengue transmission, as mosquitoes — the main vector of the disease — thrive at high temperatures, he said.
The models show that mosquitoes would carry the disease to regions further to the north and at higher altitudes, he added.
The government study would divide Taiwan in 10km2 research areas, and in its first phase focus on Taipei and high-altitude areas, Huang said.
The next phase would add New Taipei City and Taichung, he said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
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