15. Post-Morakot Land Use Implications for Taiwan

Because of its geographic position and special topography and geological conditions, many disasters have been caused by earthquakes and extreme rainfall in Taiwan in recent years. Especially, climate change brings about extreme rainfall intensity, and typhoons bring extreme torrential rain, which usually causes landslide, debris flow, and flooding in mountain areas and low-lying areas in Taiwan, such as the disaster Morakot that resulted in the greatest casualties to Taiwan in 2009. Based on the results of field surveys, the lack of an integrated plan of land use and extreme rainfall are the causes bringing about these catastrophic disasters. The Government has applicable policies in response on rule-making and policy implementation for avoiding similar problems happening again. For example, in the Typhoon Morakot Reconstruction Special Act, development is prohibited in specific areas and insecure areas to avoid repeated threats to living safety in environmentally sensitive areas and vulnerable areas. In addition, after Morakot many counties reviewed the articles of the regional planning law to enhance the measures of disaster adaptation and disaster mitigation, including the norm of land use on hillside land and governing in coastal flooding areas, intending to reduce casualties and property losses from disasters through applicable land use strategy.