The Training Program on Capacity Building for Chemical Emergency Preparedness under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation opened Sept. 23 in Kaohsiung City, to ensure a swift response to chemical incidents, reduce environmental impact and enhance human safety.
Organized by the Ministry of Environment, the six-day event involves 25 representatives from eight APEC member economies including Malaysia, Peru, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as non-member countries such as France and Poland.
During his opening remarks, MOENV Minister Peng Chi-ming said accelerating economic and trade development has led to an increase in the production and transportation of chemical substances. Thus, there is also an increase in the number of cross-border accidents involving those substances and a concomitant impact on economic stability, environmental sustainability and human safety, he added.
Peng said scenario training helps APEC member economies enhance capabilities in key issues such as hazard identification, on-site detection and incident response. The government is looking forward to sharing experience and expertise in managing hazardous chemical substances with its partner countries and helping to create an effective response mechanism in the region, the minister added.
According to the MOENV Chemicals Administration, the training program was proposed by Taiwan this year during the APEC Chemical Dialogue. It is taking place at the Southern Emergency Response Training Center for Toxic Substances, a globally recognized training facility, located inside National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology in southern Taiwan. (SFC-E)
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