 |
Low-Carbon, Ecological, Sustainable Taichung Summit and Panel Discussions
Words by Environmental Protection Bureau, Taichung City
Translated by Naomi Lai
Global climate change and working to sustain the Earth are both topics heavily discussed around the world today. Following the trends of low-carbon emissions and ecological conservation, the Taichung city and county governments co-hosted the Low-Carbon, Ecological, Sustainable Taichung Summit and Panel Discussions. This brought together environmental specialists and industry elites from around Taiwan to present their observations of this trend and professional opinions about the future of a consolidated Taichung city and county. These discussions will be used as a reference for future policies related to Greater Taichung.
Director Shaw-Chen Liu of the Research Center for Environmental Change used climate change and variations in Central Taiwan precipitation as examples, and speculated that there will be a 100% increase in precipitation between 2005 and 2035. This increase will in turn lead to larger and more frequent flooding and mudslides, making improved flood and mudslide prevention construction an important necessity. Re-establishing land utilization strategies is also important because of these projections.
Panel experts offered various suggestions, including the efficient management of non-urban land resources; increase of green spaces in industrial, residential and commercial districts; increase of a "blue belt" system and more comfortable environment; renewal of urban areas; maintaining air-flows within the city; and setting up more fully functional bicycling paths to help reduce carbon emission and waste heat from cars and scooters.
The leaders of both Taichung city and county understand that given the rich water and ecological resources of Greater Taichung, environmental protection will have an important influence in the future development of the city. Learning how to properly integrate such resources will be a key to Greater Taichung's success among five greater metropolitan areas that are taking shape across Taiwan. Challenges in the economic, environmental, humanitarian, land management and other related areas will be significant. Clearly, in the face of global competition, the economy is no longer the only important facet, as our attitudes and contributions toward environmental protection have grown to a place of equal importance.
|
June 2010 
