OPINION / VIEWPOINT
By Li Zhenguang Published: Apr 11, 2021 04:21 PM
This picture taken on March 16, 2021 shows an aerial view of a dry river bed in Taiwan's Pingtung county. Photo: VCG
Since the beginning of spring this year, the island of Taiwan has suffered the worst drought and water shortage crisis in nearly 70 years. Riyue Tan, or the Sun Moon Lake, the biggest freshwater lake and well-known landmark of Taiwan, has dried up. The storage capacity of most reservoirs in central and southern regions of the island has plummeted to 10 percent of normal reserves.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities began to implement water restriction measures in cities such as Miaoli and Taichung on April 6. It is estimated that at least 1.06 million local residents will be directly affected. The catering and hotel industries in the central region have also been affected. Even menus of middle and elementary school students in the central region have been changed. Leafy vegetables are replaced by frozen vegetables or ready-to-eat food - even soups seem to be a luxury.