Northern Taiwan River Conservation Center
To combat the pollution of our rivers more effectively, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) established the Water Watch Program in 2002 and created aquatic environment patrol teams to monitor several key rivers around the country. With considerable government resources and the help of dedicated volunteers, a total of 486 such patrol teams are currently in service up to 2022. The responsibilities of these patrol teams include maintaining the aquatic ecosystems, monitoring water quality, reporting instances of pollution, and promoting environmental education. To help the EPA support the Department of Environmental Protection of local governments in manage river patrol teams, NTU established the Northern Taiwan River Conservation Center in 20151. The Center is responsible for organizing annual training sessions to train seed teachers and introduce emerging technologies to assist in law enforcement. The latter includes using resin packs to monitor heavy metals and employing drones to aid in patrolling waters and monitoring ecological conditions along the rivers. The Center hopes to leverage these various tools to implement the Water Watch Program with local characteristics in jurisdictions and to motivate local residents to participate in these efforts, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure the cleanliness and health of rivers.
The 8th Water Conservancy Camp for Youth
In response to the impact of climate change on Taiwan's climate and water resources, NTU's Hydrotech Research Institute organized the "Water Conservancy Camp for Youth" in 2022 with a focus on the themes of "Climate Change" and "Sustainable Development." The camp aims to encourage young individuals with an interest in water environments to engage in discussions on topics such as sustainable water resource management and conservation. Participants are encouraged to propose innovative perspectives and practical action plans for the improvement of Taiwan's water resources and water environment.
Water Safety Management and Maintenance Program
To promote public awareness regarding water supply management and provide assistance to schools without access to tap water, the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education has commissioned NTU to carry out a water safety management and maintenance program for school campuses around the country over the years. The program includes: Preparing campus water safety maintenance and management manuals, organizing regular seminars, and implementing databases with water management information collected and compiled from various schools. For campuses without tap water and have access only to groundwater or mountain spring water sources, the program has also provided assistance by assigning advisory teams to conduct on-site surveys at these locations, including inspecting water treatment equipment, analyzing water quality, and conducting interviews with school water resource administrators, after which appropriate recommendations are made. Over the past dozen years or so, these advisory teams have paid over a thousand visits to schools in remote areas and spared no effort in helping elementary and secondary schools ensure the safety and quality of their water supply.
