MOENV Minister Peng Chi-ming (center), MOHW Deputy Minister Chou Jih-haw (right) and MOL OSHA Director-general Tzou Tzu-lien take part in the heat adaptation strategy forum July 31 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of MOENV)

A forum on heat adaptation strategies was held July 31 in Taipei City as part of the government’s tackling of challenges stemming from climate change, according to the Ministry of the Environment.

Organized in collaboration with the Ministries of Labor and Health and Welfare, the one-day event comprising academics, experts and officials discussing key issues such as health adaptation, heat warnings and urban heat mitigation, as well as response measures to heat threats, the MOENV said.

During his opening remarks, MOENV Minister Peng Chi-ming said global warming and carbon emissions mean that the average temperature around the world is set to increase by between 0.5 and 2 degrees Celsius in the next two decades.

It is imperative that the government take action now to protect people from the impact of heatwaves and ensure safety at home and the workplace, as well as prevent disasters and promote both heat adaptation and zero emission strategies to build a resilient homeland for all, the minister added.

Echoing Peng’s remarks, MOHW Deputy Minister Chou Jih-haw said in addition to causing discomfort, high temperatures induce a variety of impacts on individuals with cardiac, cardiovascular, kidney and diabetic diseases. He added that the ministry will launch an information campaign to help the public mitigate these negative effects.

Tzou Tzu-lien, director-general of the MOL Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency is amending regulations regarding occupational health and safety equipment and facilities, and taking precautionary measures such as requiring the establishment of sunshade facilities and rest areas, so as to protect physical laborers and the general public from heat-related hazards in high-risk weather conditions. (SFC-E)