Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taiwan tends to weather most typhoons fairly well, with the majority resulting in
flooding, property damage, delays and headaches - but little loss of life. In August
2009, however, Taiwan found itself in the direct path of Typhoon Morakot. The is-
land was unable to cope with the massive rainfall brought by the typhoon (it de-
livered over a long weekend what in the UK would be about three years' worth of
rain) which, combined with winds of up to 150km/h, triggered heavy flooding and
landslides, especially in the southern counties of Pingtung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung.
Nearly 600 people were killed in the disaster.
Although there has been no official consensus on precisely why Morakot was so
devastating, many who study local climate and land-use issues in Taiwan factor in
poor land management, excessive draining of aquifers and wetlands, and climate
change in general as being partially responsible.
Landslide
dslides
According to Dave Petley, one of the world's top landslide specialists, Taiwan is the
'landslide capital of the world' because of the high rates of tectonic uplift, weak
rocks, steep slopes, frequent earthquakes and extreme rainfall events. But while
Taiwan has almost every type of landslide, the number of known ancient rock ava-
lanches remains surprisingly low given the prevailing conditions.
A fact of life for people living in Taiwan, natural disasters are also something that
travellers need to take into account when planning their trip. Aside from the obvi-
ous dangers that may arise from being in the vicinity while one is occurring, land-
slides, typhoons and earthquakes have the potential to actually alter the land-
scape, rendering once-scenic areas unreachable and roads impassable. Sections
of the Central Cross-Island Highway that once stretched across the middle of the
island from Taichung to Hualien remain closed to visitors, while large sections of
the Southern Cross Hwy are still impassable after being altered beyond recognition
by Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
Rivers & Plains
According to the Taiwanese government's Council of Agriculture, the country boasts 118
rivers, all originating in the mountains, and it thus appears rather well watered. Despite
that considerable number, most of Taiwan's rivers follow short, steep and rapid courses
down into the ocean, which causes flooding during typhoon season. During the dry sea-
son, however, the river beds are exposed and the reservoirs alone are unable to supply
adequate water to the population. An extensive network of canals, ditches and weirs has
therefore evolved over time to manage and channel this elusive river flow for irrigation.
The country's longest river is the 186km Zhuoshui, which starts in Nantou County and
flows through the counties of Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi, and serves as the symbolic
dividing line between northern and southern Taiwan. It is also the most heavily tapped
