TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Kuomintang legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇), a member of Taiwan's parliament, raised alarms on Wednesday (July 16) about the concentration of aging buildings in the Greater Taipei metropolitan area, which encompasses the capital city and its surrounding regions. Wang emphasized the critical importance of strengthening these vulnerable structures against potential disasters. Her comments coincided with Taiwan's inaugural Urban Resilience Exercises (城鎮韌性防空演習), a nationwide emergency preparedness drill scheduled from Tuesday through Friday this week.
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部), Taiwan's agency overseeing domestic affairs, the island counted approximately 5.15 million structures exceeding 30 years of age by the first quarter of 2025. Wang warned that these older buildings potentially lack the structural integrity to endure severe natural disasters or military conflicts. The legislator referenced the recent devastation wrought by Typhoon Danas across southern Taiwan as a sobering illustration of how conflict-related destruction could potentially exceed damage from even powerful natural calamities.
The opposition legislator has formally submitted a special inquiry to the Executive Yuan (行政院), Taiwan's cabinet, seeking clarification on whether the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) and the Interior Ministry have conducted comprehensive evaluations of urban infrastructure resilience under potential conflict conditions. Wang advocated for the development of a more robust civilian shelter network capable of protecting the population during emergencies. Experts note that incorporating these structural vulnerability concerns into the ongoing Urban Resilience Exercises could significantly strengthen Taiwan's emergency preparedness capabilities. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.3)
