May to October every year is flood season in Taiwan. The Forestry Bureau has actively started the preparationpreparedness work for mountain disaster prevention and flood control before the flood season comes. These efforts include taking stock of the key flood control areas and projects under the jurisdiction of each Forest District Office, disaster prevention education and training, emergency blanket purchase agreements for emergency repairs, forest road inspection and maintenance, disaster prevention and preparationpreparedness of on-going construction projectsin-progress constructions, quake lakelandslide dam disaster prevention, and other flood control preparationpreparednesss. In-depth review and strategy planning are carried out to be in full control of the flood prevention and preparationpreparedness work, in order to reduce the occurrence of various disasters. Extra Attention to Disaster PreparationPreparedness and Response to Large-Scale Landslides in National Forests In response to the issuance of warnings for potential large-scale landslide areas starting from next year (2023), the Forestry Bureau held a disaster preparedness and disaster response demonstration drill on April 21, 2022, at the Datian Emergency Shelter in Jiaxian District, Kaohsiung City. Through the simulation exercises of real-life situations, the aim was to enhance residents’ awareness of disaster prevention, strengthen the community’s ability for autonomous response, enhance the vertical and horizontal communication and division of labor among various agencies, and familiarizing themselves with the timing, resources, and modes of operation for disaster prevention and relief work, in order to minimize the hazards of potential large-scale landslides. Furthermore, the forest roads leading to the various National Forest Recreation Areas and the settlements along the route are closely related to the public’s daily activities, so the relevant inspection and maintenance of the forest roads have all been completed in advance. In the event of a disaster, machinery personnel of the operators under the blanket purchase agreements will be able to enter the site in the shortest possible time to carry out emergency repair work to maintain the safety of the road. After review, it has been confirmed that the disaster prevention and preparationpreparedness work completed by each Forest District Office will be able to meet the challenges brought by disasters during typhoons and heavy rains. Disaster Prevention Must Not Be Taken Lightly in the Face of Extreme Weather Due to extreme weather, the total accumulated rainfall associated with typhoons has increased year by year, and extremely heavy rainfall over a short period of time has become more frequent. In particular, national forests are mostly located at mid to high altitude areas, where rainfall changes are more obvious, so extreme weather should not be taken lightly. In addition to completing the disaster preparednessprevention work, the Forestry Bureau is also actively working with the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau and the Water Resources Agency to maintain horizontal communication and cooperation, in order to properly prepare for disasters. The public is urged to cooperate with the related evacuation measures to reduce the loss of life and property.
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