At a central government disaster prevention meeting today, Vice Premier Chang San-cheng urged all agencies and citizens to conserve water and work together to weather this difficult drought.
Chang said that precipitation around Taiwan has been light since last fall and that central and local governments continue to fight the drought. The pattern of uneven rainfall is becoming more pronounced due to extreme weather, forcing governments to alternate between fighting droughts and controlling floods all year round. He reminded agencies to remain on alert and continue working hard so as to minimize losses.
After listening to the Ministry of Economic Affairs' (MOEA) report on drought fighting measures, the Vice Premier Chang said that the water situation will not likely improve before May, when rainy season begins. He requested the MOEA, Council of Agriculture (COA), and Ministry of Science and Technology to spread the message of water conservation to the public.
The vice premier asked the MOEA to plan for water rationing as there is a possibility that the second stage of water restrictions will be enforced after the Lunar New Year holiday ends late February. If the second stage is indeed necessary, the MOEA should explain the measures to local governments and the public in advance and communicate with them online.
Also at the meeting, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) reported on draft revisions to its toxic chemical substances disaster prevention plan. Vice Premier Chang instructed the EPA to consult with the Ministry of Health and Welfare after the meeting and asked the Executive Yuan's Office of Disaster Management to compile and put related regulations into effect. He also gave instructions that the EPA and Financial Supervisory Commission find out how willing insurance companies are to underwrite such risks.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications reported on revisions to an aviation disaster prevention and rescue plan, which Chang suggested be submitted to the Central Disaster Prevention and Response Council for approval before implementation.
As for the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction's report on causes of the 2014 landslide disaster in Hiroshima, Japan, Chang emphasized the importance of preparing for "heavier rainfall in shorter intervals" and directed the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) to incorporate this new pattern into the rainfall classification system. He asked the MOEA, MOTC and COA to adjust their response measures in accordance with the CWB's revisions.
Chang also requested the CWB to cooperate with disaster and rescue units to finish reviewing the rainfall classification system before the May rainy season. Precipitation has a large impact on people's lives, so they should know how to differentiate between extremely heavy rain and extremely torrential rain, for example, said the vice premier. He instructed the CWB and other agencies to work on better safety for water activities and raise the public's awareness of disaster prevention.