Taiwan Promotes Water Conservation

Taiwan is promoting water-saving measures throughout the country in an attempt to lower the average quantity of water consumed by an individual every day from 274 litres to 250 litres.

The measures include offering subsidies to people who buy water conservation products and use preferential water rates.

Since 2008, the Taiwan Government has been looking at ways to combat drought and has even established a water-consumption ceiling.

The Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-Shiang said that Taiwan may face a shortage of water resources this year with rainfall likely to be less than normal during the first quarter.

Yen-Shiang said from September 2009 to January 2010, only three out of 12 major reservoirs in Taiwan received higher-than-expected rainfall, while others received less than 70% of the average yearly level.

According to the report, nearly 4.3 billion tonnes of the 18 billion tonnes of water annually consumed come from reservoirs.

Only 1.9 billion tonnes of water has been effectively stored in over 40 reservoirs in Taiwan.