Taiwan forms alliance to develop heat response strategies

Taipei, June 3 (CNA) The Ministry of Environment on Tuesday announced the establishment of an alliance focusing on formulating heat adaptation strategies and jointly developing heat adaptation roadmaps and mechanisms through public-private collaboration, to combat extreme heat and enhance the overall heat adaptation capacity of the Taiwanese public.

The alliance composed of government agencies, enterprises, and civil groups was introduced during a launch ceremony.

In terms of the private sector, a total of 63 companies -- including bricks-and-mortar and online retailers, air conditioning and cooling system providers, transportation services and construction firms --joined the alliance, according to the ministry.

During the ceremony, Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) said that the alliance will strive to tackle extreme heat by means of establishing a heat emergency response mechanism and holding heat adaption drills.

It will also work toward developing a national "cool map" for people to find air-conditioned places where they can escape the summer heat, as well as coordinating inter-ministerial data and pooling the resources of central and local government agencies to address energy poverty through action plans.

He explained that while there is an emergency response center, which is activated in the event of an emergency, such as typhoons, there is currently no equivalent for heatwaves. Therefore, the ministry aims to introduce a common set of indicators to assess the severity of heat, he said.

The ultimate goal is to gradually establish early warning indicators for extreme heat across different sectors and enhance the adaption capacity of vulnerable groups, Peng added.

Peng said that this year, the Central Weather Administration's (CWA) orange and red heat alerts will be used as the activation standard for heat drills, with the aim of gradually implementing a formalized system in the future.

The CWA will issue an orange alert when temperatures rise over 36 degree Celsius for three consecutive days, or maximum temperatures soar over 38 degrees, while a red alert will be issued when temperatures remain over 38 degrees for three consecutive days.

On the issue of taking heat-related days off, Peng said that the priority should be placed on enhancing protection measures for both businesses and individuals. For example, outdoor workers need better equipment to cope with extreme heat.

Deputy Environment Minister Shih Wen-chen (施文真) said at the launch ceremony that currently, extreme heat conditions may only last for a few hours within a single day, making it difficult to justify a full-day "heat holiday."

In addition, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement that to raise public awareness of heat adaptation, a heat adaptation strategies exhibition will be held from July to September in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. The exhibition will place special focus on the urban heat island effect in metropolitan areas, aiming to inspire public action to combat urban heat.

The exhibition in the north is scheduled to take place from July 25 to 27 in the lobby of Taipei Metro Daan Park station, according to the ministry.