At the Cabinet's weekly meeting on Thursday, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a briefing from the Ministry of Economic Affairs on the near-term outlook for the nation's water supply and proposed response measures. With Taiwan now in the latter half of the dry season and before the plum rain season arrives—which will bring sustained rainfall from late spring to early summer—the government must prudently ensure it is able to respond to unpredictable rainfall patterns caused by climate change, the premier said. He instructed ministries and agencies to ready all necessary drought prevention resources in order to ensure a stable water supply and resilient water allocation adjustment.
Taiwan has experienced significantly reduced rainfall since January, with actual rainfall in reservoirs and water catchment areas reaching only 30% to 60% of the average in recent years for the same period. Climate studies indicate that Taiwan in the future will experience a gradual increase in the number of days without rainfall; furthermore, on days when rainfall occurs, there will be higher chances of heavy rainfall, the premier said.
In light of this, the government has been implementing measures to develop new water sources, improve water conservation, reallocate water supplies and expand reserve capacity. The government's comprehensive response policies include initiatives to connect water supply networks along the western corridor of Taiwan, and to leverage new water sources such as desalinated seawater and reclaimed water, thus reducing dependence on rainfall. The premier instructed ministries and agencies to continue working together on these tasks to proactively strengthen Taiwan's water resilience.