The government is mobilizing all agencies and resources to alleviate the impact caused by the current drought plaguing Taiwan while fast-tracking water supply infrastructure programs, according to the Water Resources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs March 16.
Efforts made by the government are paying dividends, the WRA said, citing as an example the success of the central emergency operation center against drought established in October last year. The center has already reduced industrial and residential water usage by up to 11 and 20 percent, respectively, via measures including irrigation control, reservoir management and water delivery across regions, the agency said.
The actions were in response to a countrywide water shortage resulting from low rainfall in 2020, the first year since 1964 in which not a single typhoon made landfall in Taiwan.
According to the WRA, the government is not content to rest on its laurels. The Executive Yuan approved an emergency water supply plan last November slating NT$1.4 billion (US$50 million) for developing mobile treatment facilities and seawater desalination equipment, digging wells, exploring ponds as water sources and utilizing reclaimed water, the agency said, adding that the daily water supply volume is expected to increase by 780,000 metric tons going forward.
The agency said a further project is in the pipeline to tackle the most severely affected areas such as northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City and County, and Miaoli County, as well as central Taiwan’s Taichung City. More man-made lakes and pipes for collecting underflow water will also be completed by 2025 under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, the WRA added.
Launched in 2017, the FIDP is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing Taiwan’s key infrastructure needs for the next 30 years. It includes projects spanning railway development, digital infrastructure, aquatic environment, food safety, green energy, urban-rural development, boosting birth rates and child care facilities, and nurturing talent and employment. (YCH-E)
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