Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming describes climate adaptation as a long-term form of disaster prevention. (Photo: Daisy Chuang)
Each year could now be the coolest summer of our lifetime. With global average temperature surpassing the 1.5°C threshold in 2024, extreme weather is expected to grow more frequent and severe. This series, “Climate adaptation in focus,” explores Taiwan’s policy pathways and challenges in climate adaptation, while also highlighting how businesses can leverage weather data to manage risks and capture new opportunities.
Climate adaptation is essentially long-term disaster prevention, but the real challenge lies in implementation—turning awareness into action, said Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明). He admitted that no country in the world is fully prepared for climate adaptation, but stressed that what can be done now is to build broader awareness and reduce the impacts of climate shocks.
Climate adaptation likened to cancer fight highlights long-term challenge
Climate change is not a distant issue for 2050. In early July, Typhoon Danas brought severe damage to southern and central Taiwan, toppling the ceremonial archway of Nankunshen Temple in Tainan, flooding Lukang Mazu Temple in Changhua, and overturning a large number of floating solar panels with gusts reaching force 16. The destruction underscored the urgent need for government to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation capacity.
Peng explained that the public has a clear understanding of disaster prevention. People know how to prepare for and respond to a typhoon, much as treating a common cold that eventually passes with rest. Adaptation, however, is more like cancer—a long-term challenge that requires early prevention and continuous effort.
“Everyone says climate change and extreme weather are becoming more important,” he noted, “but when it comes to what actions to take, there is still little being done.”
Compared with the net-zero pathway, which comes with clear incentives and drivers, climate adaptation still lacks strong momentum. As a starting point, Taiwan has focused on extreme heat—an impact that public feels most directly.
The Ministry of Environment established the Heat Adaptation Strategy Alliance on June 3, bringing together central and local governments along with industry partners to promote measures against extreme heat. Peng explained that this marks the first step in advancing climate adaptation, since heat is the most immediate and tangible impact for the public—and one that is relatively easier to address.
The alliance will roll out the “Cool Map,” a tool that integrates resources from the public and private sectors to highlight locations where people can find relief during extreme heat.
Peng noted that in the past, adaptation measures were often planned mainly by government agencies or academic experts and were not always localized to community needs. To avoid the gap between ambitious plans and on-the-ground realities, he stressed the importance of incorporating more input from civil society.
During recent visits to Japan, France, and Germany, Peng observed that even convenience stores inside Japan’s House of Councillors have dedicated sections selling salt tablets and electrolyte to help people cope with heat. While clearly a commercial activity, he noted, it also plays a role in raising public awareness.
On the policy side, Taiwan could draw lessons from Japan’s “National Resilience” strategy, which builds on disaster and tsunami prevention frameworks while allocating additional funding to prepare for more extreme climate impacts.
The Ministry of Labor is also taking steps to address extreme heat. Last month, its Occupational Safety and Health Administration released the third edition of heat hazard prevention guidelines for outdoor workers. The Ministry of Environment, meanwhile, is collaborating with the Water Resources Agency, the Central Weather Bureau, and other agencies to build climate databases.
Peng explained that beyond making climate scenarios more accessible to the public, the priority is to map out available resources, manpower, and responsibilities for adaptation. “With a well-defined division of labor,” he said, “we hope to achieve a combined effect greater than the sum of its parts.”
