Typhoon Bawei Nears Taiwan, Authorities Dredge River to Prevent Flooding

As Typhoon Bawei approaches, Taiwan's Water Resources Agency has deployed excavators to dredge the Erren River in Tainan. The move aims to prevent a repeat of the severe flooding that inundated the Moon World area after heavy rains on June 25.

That earlier downpour, which saw 105 millimeters of rain in one hour, caused the Erren River to overflow. The Moon World scenic area was submerged, and its pumping station was overwhelmed and rendered inoperable. The agency is now adding three mobile pumping stations to the Moon World site in anticipation of the typhoon.

“

The outer circulation last month highlighted the siltation and drainage bottlenecks in some parts of the Erren River. If not addressed promptly, further heavy rainfall could exacerbate the flooding risk.

Local political candidate Lai Ruei-lung highlighted that the recent rainfall exposed existing siltation and drainage bottlenecks in the Erren River. He stressed the need for timely intervention to mitigate future flood risks. While the Moon World embankment was raised in 2020, Lai argued that dike operations must be continuously reviewed and flood control targets increased to ensure effective drainage during the typhoon season.

“

Although the Moon World embankment was raised in 2020 (currently 1.8 meters), facing short-duration rainfall still requires continuous review of dike operations and raising flood control targets to achieve flood control and drainage functions during the flood season.