Technical Report: Taiwan drought

Abstract

During the 2020-2021 typhoon season, for the first time in 56 years, no typhoon made landfall on Taiwan, leading to one of the worst droughts in the island’s history. As reservoirs fell below 5% capacity, more than one million households and businesses had to ration water. This water rationing was not without controversy, especially for the island’s most water-intensive industries: rice farming and semiconductor manufacturing. Taiwan’s case exemplifies the challenges of water stress and related risk across value chains that could emerge as a result. It also shows stark choices that governments and authorities may have to face in rationing water resources. Water management in a changing climate is incredibly important to ensure the life, health and prosperity of people and ecosystems on our planet.This technical background report for the 2021/2022 edition of the Interconnected Disaster Risks report analyses the root causes, drivers, impacts and potential solutions for the Taiwan drought through a forensic analysis of academic literature, media articles and expert interviews.