Climate change has increased the risk of wildfires in Taiwan, especially in the dry season from November to April, a study published in the international journal Climatic Change found.
The study was jointly submitted by teams from National Chung Hsing University and Utah State University, and was published last month.
The peak season for wildfires has moved forward due to rain patterns and rising temperatures, the study said.
Photo courtesy of National Chung Hsing University
While Taiwan has rarely experienced large-scale wildfires due to its large number of evergreens and its high humidity, recent fires highlight the urgency for the country to adopt preventive strategies amid a changing climate, it said.
Using the Fire Weather Index and multiple climate model simulations, the study assessed and predicted weather patterns from 2021 to 2100, and found that the risk of severe wildfires in Taiwan would increase noticeably.
Northern and central Taiwan were deemed to be at greater risk of wildfires, the study found.
“Incorporating advanced climate projections into wildfire risk management will enable Taiwan to develop more effective strategies to mitigate the impact of forest fires,” said study coauthor Simon Wang (王世宇), a professor of climate dynamics at Utah State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
It is good that the Ministry of Agriculture is developing relevant assessment systems, he said.
He also urged the drafting of legislation to promote fire prevention education and other measures to slow the pace of climate change and reduce the threat to Taiwan’s overall safety and diverse ecosystem.
“Our findings reveal a future where wildfire risks are significantly heightened, demanding a re-evaluation of our fire management strategies,” said study coauthor, Liu Wan-yu (柳婉郁), a professor at National Chung Hsing University’s Department of Forestry.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against