Getting Prepared: A Unique Disaster Response Collaboration Between Agriculture and the Military in Hualien
Agriculture Ministry and Military to Conduct Joint Disaster Response Exercises Together
Hold onto your hats, folks! The Ministry of Agriculture and Taiwan's military are teaming up for a first-of-its-kind natural disaster response drill set to go down in Hualien later this month. The big announcement was made at a press briefing marking the commencement of Soil and Water Conservation Month.
Officials from the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation are planning a whopping 40 exercises throughout Taiwan to beef up our defenses against the mounting threat of extreme weather events. According to Deputy Director-General Wang Chin-lun, the military will take the reins in the Hualien drill, training local authorities on how to handle bigevacuations simultaneously, you guessed it, in the event of flooding and earthquakes.
If all goes according to plan, the agency will consider upping the ante on the drills, expanding them beyond Hualien to other parts of the country.
A heroic awards ceremony also went down at the event, honoring volunteer emergency responders with a decade or more of service. Over 70-year-old Fan Heng-chih, a volunteer since Typhoon Morakot tore up Kaohsiung's Jiasian District in 2009, shared chilling (and informative) stories about natural disasters reshaping her neighborhood's terrain. And don't worry, her district hasn't lost its appetite for disaster risks - all six hills remain at the mercy of mudslides if another storm comes around.
With the aging of her team of volunteers being as concerning as the disasters themselves, Fan urged the public to jump on board the volunteer rescue train. Natural disasters don't care who you are or what you're about, she said.
Chen Shen-che, a 70-year-old former employee, made a splash when he joined the volunteer team after retiring from the civil service a decade ago. Still, he said he's thrilled to apply his expertise to helping people evacuate from disasters and persuading elderly folks to save their own skins.
Public awareness is crucial, Chen said. He shared a story about an intense negotiation he had with a 90-year-old man who was reluctant to leave his home during a disaster. After hours of convincing, the man relented, proving that sometimes a little patience goes a long way.
People need to stay informed about their community's disaster risks to make smart evacuation decisions, Chen emphasized. So, stay tuned for more info on this groundbreaking joint drill, and remember: knowledge is power!
What You Should Know About Disaster Management in Taiwan
- The region faced a significant earthquake in Hualien County on April 3, 2024, causing considerable damage[1][5]. Recovery efforts are ongoing for indigenous communities along the east coast[3][5].
- A joint disaster response drill between the Ministry of Agriculture and the military could strengthen interagency cooperation, improve disaster relief and recovery strategies, and foster international partnerships[4].
- Expanding the drill to involve more ministries, technology, and community engagement could lead to a more comprehensive disaster response.
- The upcoming disaster response drill in Hualien, a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Taiwan's military, is set to cite experiences from war-and-conflicts and politics in its exercises.
- In the Hualien drill, the military will guide local authorities on how to manage large-scale evacuations, specifically in response to flooding and earthquakes.
- If successful, the disaster response drill in Hualien could potentially expand to include other regions across Taiwan, targeting a wider variety of soil and water conservation issues.
- Public awareness and general news outlets play a crucial role in educating communities about disaster risks, helping individuals make informed decisions during evacuations.
