TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As global temperatures continue their relentless climb, Taiwan is mobilizing a coordinated response to the growing threat of extreme heat. The island nation's Ministry of Environment (MOENV, 環境部), the government agency responsible for environmental protection and climate policy, will launch a "High-Temperature Response Alliance" (抗高溫對策聯盟) by late May, according to Monday's report in the United Daily News (聯合報), one of Taiwan's major newspapers.
The initiative was conceived last May during a period of record-breaking global temperatures, according to Hsu Hsu-cheng (徐旭誠), deputy director of the ministry's Climate Change Administration (氣候變遷署), a specialized agency overseeing Taiwan's climate policies. Preliminary consultations with industry representatives, local government officials, and non-governmental organizations are scheduled to conclude by month's end. Hsu revealed that the alliance will develop comprehensive strategies including specialized heat-resistant clothing for outdoor workers and more sophisticated early warning systems for extreme temperature events.
Ministry officials are currently compiling an inventory of existing heat mitigation measures across government departments prior to the alliance's formal launch. This assessment encompasses workplace safety protocols for outdoor laborers and urban heat island countermeasures already in place. "These efforts aim to integrate heat response strategies into the nation's next adaptation plan," Hsu explained, highlighting the government's intention to incorporate these initiatives into Taiwan's broader climate resilience framework.
The urgency of Taiwan's heat response is underscored by alarming findings in the "2024 Taiwan Climate Change Analysis Series Report" (台灣氣候變遷分析系列報告－暖化趨勢下的台灣極端高溫與衝擊), which documents a marked increase in summer temperatures and heat events spanning from 1910 to 2020. Published by the National Science and Technology Council (NTSC, 國科會), Taiwan's premier scientific research agency, the report cautions that continuing global warming will intensify extreme heat occurrences, expand urban heat discomfort zones, and create significant workplace safety challenges. Taiwan has experienced a 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7°F) rise in annual average temperature over the last century, with multiple heat records shattered between 2015 and 2020. ★
