Taiwan Today

Premier Wu Den-yih directed related agencies Dec. 3 “to ensure that before the rainy season next May and June, water for public consumption and industrial use in Taiwan is not seriously affected.” The premier’s remarks came as the Executive Yuan reviewed Taiwan’s water supplies. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said if no adjustments are made, the southern part of the island will probably face a water shortage next February or March. The water stored in southern reservoirs and the stream flow in the Gaoping River are lower than annual averages, according to the MOEA. The Central Weather Bureau predicted rainfall in the coming season will also be below average. Overall, the water situation is most serious in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area, with central Taiwan the next worse off. Water supplies in the north are more stable. Lin Sheng-chung, deputy minister of economic affairs, said a drought response task force to be formed by mid-December would by the end of the month announce whether irrigation for rice crops in the south would be halted. As Taiwan enters the dry season and silting is very serious in southern reservoirs, the Water Resources Agency has already adopted rationing measures at Nanhua Reservoir, and reduced water pressure at night in the Miaoli area. If rainfall continues to be sparse, similar measures could be employed in the Kaohsiung and Taoyuan regions. Wu Yue-si, deputy director-general of the WRA, said the Chia-Nan Irrigation Association estimates that 300 to 400 million tons of water are needed to irrigate the first rice crop, but Zengwen and Wushantou reservoirs together can provide only 250 million tons. With Zengwen Reservoir now at less than 50 percent capacity, measures to stop irrigation and planting in the south may be unavoidable. With regard to water supplies in the center and north, Feitsui and Shihmen reservoirs are now at over 80 percent capacity, so there is no present danger of water shortages. If agricultural water use is to be restricted, the decision will be made by early January at the latest. Vice Premier Eric Li-luan Chu convened the WRA, CWB, Council of Agriculture, Council for Economic Planning and Development and Ministry of National Defense Dec. 2 to review water supplies in all areas of the island and develop response measures. (THN)