On August 8, 2012, the third anniversary of Typhoon Morakot, Premier Sean Chen said that post-reconstruction efforts have united the people of Taiwan in love and compassion. As weather patterns grow more unpredictable from climate change, the government will provide citizens with the necessary information to be ready for natural disasters.
Chen made the statement at a press conference and award ceremony marking the third anniversary of the Typhoon Morakot held by the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council (MPDRC) of the Executive Yuan. President Ma Ying-jeou and Vice President Wu Den-yih were also in attendance. A total of 37 awards (including 15 special contribution awards) were presented to honor the recipients' contributions to the reconstruction work.
According to the MPDRC, three years of reconstruction efforts have already yielded much fruits. In community rebuilding, 3,439 permanent units have been constructed in 39 locations to benefit over 10,000 people, and 1,139 of 1,145 damaged schools have been restored.
In infrastructure restoration, 99 percent of projects are complete. About 245 million cubic meters of mud and debris have been dredged from rivers and streams, and all river, soil, water conservation projects and forest reconstruction tasks are finished.
As for industrial rebuilding, eight demonstration sites targeting industrial reconstruction have been established, and 492 hectares of damaged farmland have been restored for cultivation. Various employment services have provided 265,000 job opportunities. Local agricultural produce and specialties sales have been held, and tourism in restored areas is being promoted to stimulate local economies.