Lien Ching-chang, vice minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, addresses attendees at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Water Forum Sept. 10 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of MOEA)
 

The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency staged the Taiwan International Water Week forum Sept. 9-10 in Taipei City to advance multilateral cooperation between academic, governmental and industrial sectors from Taiwan and nations around the world.

The two-day symposium centered on maintaining water safety, the ministry said, adding that the event brought together more than 500 professionals from home and abroad for a leaders’ summit and meetings on vital topics including the creation of sustainable environmental practices.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Economic Minister Lien Ching-chang said that the management and use of water resources is key to social stability and environmental sustainability, while also having a direct impact on economic development and people’s welfare.

Lai Chien-hsin, director-general of the WRA, also presented at the event, sharing how Taiwan has enhanced resilience in the face of floods, including methods such as artificial intelligence and big data to advance disaster prevention efficiency, the MOEA said.

Koji Ikeuchi, president of Japan’s Foundation of River & Basin Integrated Communications, said that the frequency of floods in his country is predicted to more than double as a result of climate change. He then briefed the attendees on the status of government R&D on lifesaving real-time warning mechanisms intended to enable citizens to evacuate ahead of the disasters, the MOEA said.

Nine sessions were held on the second day of the conference, and included experts from Japan, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the U.S. and the Netherlands exploring the application of AI in disaster prevention, the creation of an ecological environment, the utilization of emerging technologies, among other topics. (POC-E)