Page 36 - 2019 Annual Report Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

Gestation: Enjoying the richness of the land Unit Three: Improving the Basic Environment
expenditures were NT$2.538 billion. The scope of "aquaculture drainage" tasks included (i) improvement of the management of drainage connections for flood prevention and (ii) flood prevention and mitigation guidance, which were done in aquaculture production zones and concentrated fish farm zones in Yilan County and six other cities and counties. Associated tasks included the following:
◆ The COA handled 12 projects for "improvement of the management of drainage connections for flood prevention," reducing the area of aquaculture ponds prone to flooding by 3,429.4 hectares.
◆ We also completed "seawater supply facilities for the Zhuangwei aquaculture zone in Yilan County" and the "expansion project for the LNG seawater pipeline in Kaohsiung City (Shiban Road)."
◆ In terms of "flood mitigation guidance measures," in 2019 the COA completed dredging of drainage channels in five locations, raised the height of fish pond dikes for 20 households, and installed circular water use facilities for two households. A total of 8,567.5 hectares of aquaculture zones gained increased protection over the course of the "Comprehensive River Basin Management Plan." The goals of promoting overall drainage management work under this Plan, which covered everything from limiting sedimentation and upgrading water source management capabilities in upstream watershed areas to improvement of drainage in mid- and downstream aquaculture zones, were to guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property, ensure sustainable use of soil and water resources, and maintain the surrounding scenery.
(4) Dredging of torrents
Unstable slopes and torrents often lead to channel fill deposit caused by earthquakes and typhoons. In 2019, in order to reduce losses of life and property among citizens, the COA managed 68 torrent dredging projects, clearing
away 2,436,000 cubic meters of soil and restoring the capacity of these torrents to drain floodwater.
The COA continued, on the basis of the strategies and methods in the "Program to Strengthen Dredging in Rivers, Torrents, and Reservoirs," and with attention to torrent management and dredging in national forest, to manage torrents and handle landslides (i) at bottleneck sections of rivers urgently in need of attention and (ii) at important areas where infrastructure or the safety of Aboriginal communities can be affected. We observed the principle of "dredge in the right places, dredge at the right times" and kept a firm grasp on the progress of the work. The goal for 2019 was set at 1.2 million cubic meters, but in fact the COA actually dredged 1,225,300 cubic meters, exceeding the original target.
(5) Debris flow monitoring and disaster prevention
The COA announced 1,725 rivers and waterways across Taiwan that have the potential for debris flow, and reexamined updating the threshold value for debris flow warnings. We also updated (i) the "2019 debris flow natural disaster evacuation plans" for 689 communities in 159 townships in 17 counties and cities and (ii) the "list of persons to be protected in the impact range of rivers with potential for debris flow," listing data on 46,925 people to be protected near such rivers.
COA Deputy Minister Huang Chin-cheng presided over a flag and awards ceremony for volunteer debris flow disaster prevention specialists.
34