Relevant central government agencies, such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Ministry of the Interior and Council of Agriculture, and local governments must work together to achieve comprehensive and sound river basin management, Premier Lin Chuan stated at the Cabinet meeting today. Should there be any loophole, overall control and management efficacy will greatly decrease, he noted.
The premier made these remarks about the Comprehensive River Basin Management Plan after a briefing by the MOEA on its comprehensive river basin management and flood-prevention measures.
Future flood prevention requires not only collaboration between government agencies but also cooperation with the private sector, Lin added. He expects the central and local governments to boost the private sector's autonomous flood-prevention capabilities and to incorporate volunteers, communities and enterprises to carry out joint prevention in order to effectively prevent losses from disasters.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Tung Chen-yuan stated that the nation must pay attention to the effects of climate change on Taiwan, and thus two relevant briefings delivered at the new administration's first Cabinet meeting, "Comprehensive river basin management and flood-prevention measures" and "Measures to boost accuracy in weather forecasts and their applications in disaster prevention in response to climate change," harbor great significance.
The administration will adjust its thinking and execution in light of climate change, Tung said. The central and local governments must cooperate on issues like weather, river basins and land. As the three laws on national land have been passed, it is time for national land planning to be conducted from the top down, and Taiwan's vulnerable topography and coastlines reflect the need to adjust to climate change. It is therefore very important to take climate change into consideration in national land planning, which will be based on such foundations. The National Development Council's national economic development plan must also be further integrated with national land planning. The various ministries and agencies will bear in mind this direction when implementing their measures, Tung said.
Tung further pointed out that adjustment to climate change requires identifying vulnerable regions and industries; for instance, which regions, farmers and fishermen would be affected by anomalous weather, global warming and rising sea levels. These determinations are important and in various aspects require the support of the Executive Yuan.
The MOEA stated that its accomplishments in comprehensive river basin management include assisting local governments to improve flood areas of around 538 square kilometers (km), dredging drainage lines of 2,825 km, augmenting embankments for about 1,214 km, completing 28 drainage basins and 142 pumping stations, establishing control of 30.11 million cubic meters of sand and debris in catchment areas, and protecting land surface of 1.19 million hectares.