Source: Overseas Network
As an island with rainfall of 2.6 times the world average, Taiwan has recently fallen into the most serious water shortage dilemma in 56 years.
Sun Moon Lake The entire land at the bottom of the land was cracked (Photo source: Zhongshi News Network)
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How serious is the water shortage on the island? The Sun Moon Lake landscape can be seen at a glance.
As of April 9, the water storage rate of Sun Moon Lake was only 35.9%. A large area of land at the bottom of the pond was dry and exposed, cracked into blocks. The "Nine Frogs Stacks" at the attraction marking the water level of Sun Moon Lake have been exposed. Netizens on the island joked: In the past, "swimming across the Sun Moon Lake" was, and this year, "Running on the Sun Moon Lake".
All the water volumes of 21 reservoirs in Taiwan are in a hurry, the water storage rate of many reservoirs in central and southern regions is less than 10%, and the water storage rate of Tainan Baihe Reservoir is directly "zero".
The water used for production and living of people on the island has been severely affected. Since 0:00 on April 6, Taichung, Beichanghua and some Miaoli and Hsinchu areas have begun to implement the "Five Supply and Two Supply" zoned water supply. The water supply is cut off for 2 days in 5 days a week, affecting about 1.06 million households. It is the third large-scale zoned water supply in Taiwan in the past 20 years.
3, thousands of residents in Meinong, Kaohsiung, whose tap water pipelines have not been installed, found that the wells were exhausted and no water was available. Some people were forced to take a bath in the river, and even went to the toilet in a banana garden full of mosquitoes.
The "big water user" semiconductor industry on the island is not having a good time. In the past, chip manufacturers used a lot of water to clean factories and wafers, but now many science parks have to use water trucks to supply water. Some semiconductor companies say that if the situation continues to deteriorate, production capacity may be damaged and chips will be short.
To protect the chip industry, agriculture can only be put aside. One quarter of the farmland on the island this year has been fallow and irrigation stopped due to water shortage, setting a record high; some farmlands that have been cultivated are at risk of water shortage at any time.
According to Taiwanese media reports, due to lack of water in central Taiwan, the menu has changed from leafy vegetables to frozen vegetables or instant food - even soup cannot be eaten.
School lunch changes menu due to water shortage (screenshot source: United News Network)
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According to the DPP authorities, Taiwan’s water shortage is due to “natural disaster.” Taiwan’s “Premier” Su Zhenchang, who dares to say anything, even said that Taiwan is at the same latitude as the three major deserts such as the Sahara, and water shortage is the right thing to do, "Taiwan’s water is appreciated by God."
For Taiwan, the climate has been a bit abnormal in the past two years. In 2020, at least seven typhoons occurred in the Western Pacific region, but none of them landed in Taiwan, which is the first time in 56 years. There were no typhoons throughout the year, which brought Taiwan's annual rainfall to a new low in more than half a century.
However, if the water from the rainy season is stored for use in less rainy season, the problem will be solved. As Taiwan's water conservancy expert Li Hongyuan said: "Taiwan's annual average rainfall is 2.6 times the world average, and there is no right to call it water shortage."
Li Hongyuan believes that the reason why Taiwan lacks water is due to the extreme waste of water resources and the failure to seriously recycle and reuse rainwater. "If 20% of the agricultural water is transferred, Taiwan will basically not lack water." He also pointed out that agricultural water is as high as 70% of Taiwan's total water use, but for a long time, agricultural water has been transmitted through old irrigation channels, with 1/4 of the evaporation loss in the middle, half of the water leaks, and only 25% of the water is released from the reservoir and reaches the fields.
In this sense, if you do a good job in water saving, repair loopholes in water pipes and irrigation systems as soon as possible, build a sewage and recycle water plant, and promote sewage recycling and reuse, Taiwan will not have to worry about water use.
What's more, water shortage is not sudden, the signs have appeared last year. The DPP should have enough time to prepare, but why hasn't it been slow to see action? It turns out that in the past year, the DPP has been busy smearing the mainland, "using the epidemic to seek independence" and "relying on the United States to seek independence", and has no time to prepare for the future.
carefully examined the handling and response of the DPP authorities, and it is no wonder that it was ridiculed by the public opinion on the island as "treating the head for headaches and treating the foot for feet". Taiwan's "Economic Minister" Wang Meihua proposed that "well can be dug wells to get water". The official also held a rain prayer ceremony on Dajia Zhenlan Palace . 3,000 people wore white clothes and held incense to worship for 2 hours but failed to move God. This kind of "not asking the people and asking ghosts and gods" is more than just a trick of fooling the people who do not do practical things and only seek to be sympathetic.
On March 7, a rain prayer meeting was held in the Lan Palace in Dajia, Taichung.Source: United News Network
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After the DPP authorities came to power, they launched a "foresight plan" involving NT$880 billion, but they were called the "money plan" by the outside world - just to distribute interests, tie up piles and tighten tickets, and built many "mosquito halls" and face-saving projects that were ignored, and they were not interested in the critical matters of people's livelihood, such as water and electricity shortage.
The lack of long-term planning and the lack of sincerity in seeking benefit to the people is the deep-seated reason for Taiwan's development dilemma.
In addition, as Yin Qiming, professor at , , Taiwan, said, Taiwan urgently needs to transfer agricultural water rights to industry and people's livelihood use, and at the same time build a new reservoir. However, in the past decade, due to environmental impact assessment and other issues, Taiwan has only built a reservoir. Why is
like this? The "democratic system" that some people on the island are proud of is probably the root cause. In the short-sighted calculation of "everything is for votes", the "hidden project" that benefits the long-term cannot be seen by politicians due to its lack of dramatic effects and sensational effects.
Taiwan Current Affairs Commentator Cai Zhengyuan said: "It will take 10 or 20 years to do this kind of project, but every ruling person only has 4 years, at most 8 years. Why should he spend a lot of effort to let the next person enjoy it?"
Taiwan lacks water, but the offshore island Kinmen , which is more water-deficient than the island, is not short of water. There is water supply in mainland China, and Kinmen has not implemented water restrictions so far. In March this year, the proportion of mainland water supply in Kinmen's people's livelihood and industrial water demand exceeded 68%.
At the beginning, when the mainland opened the Kinmen water supply project, the DPP was dissatisfied and obstructed by many parties. Now, do you feel guilty and short-sighed? Those who are dedicated to political operations and do not seek benefits for the people may be able to cheat for a while, but if they encounter a little, they will only reveal their true colors.
text/Black and White Freedom
Edit/Yunge
Source: "Xiake Island" WeChat public account
Editor: Hu Jiayi, Zhang Zhen
