Taoyuan developed a water monitoring system and app enabling early warning and disaster preparation for authorities and citizens in the coastal city.
In 2015, in response to the consequences of increased flooding, Taoyuan launched a water information system to better forecast disasters, dispatch rescue efforts, allocate municipal resources, and broadcast warnings. The system is based on a geographic information system database, combined with street surveillance and road condition information. All information used in the system is provided by city departments, who collaborate to ensure the system is continuously operating with updated data, which it shares in real time. Furthermore, the Taiwanese city has built systems that provide water information, such as a remote flood gate monitor, a storm drain water level monitor, and a water information monitoring mechanism. Since implementation, the system has become indispensable for the city’s disaster prevention work and emergency responses.
24 million sent messages to residents with the “Water information in Taoyuan” app
Cities100 – 2017
The city also developed the “Water information in Taoyuan” app to give citizens access to disaster prevention and response information in real time. Citizens can also report floods with the app. So far, 20,000 people have downloaded the app and more than 1,200 disaster prevention messages have been sent to app users.
The challenge
In the recent years, flooding has caused levee breaches and drainage system failures in Taoyuan, costing the city almost $120 million. Developing a water information system has ensured access to groundwater and increased ability to prevent disasters in both wet and dry seasons.
Co-benefits
Economic Taoyuan avoids millions in damages by reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, via direct costs such as damage to property, and indirectly through insurance premiums and health-related costs.
Social The app shares the locations of nearby evacuation shelters to help people get to safety faster in the event of a disaster.
Health The system helps improve the resilience of the city against disasters at every level, minimizing lost lives and creating a safer city.
About Taoyuan
Taoyuan is a special municipality in northwestern Taiwan. Taoyuan developed from a satellite city of Taipei metropolitan area to be the fourth-largest metropolitan area, and fifth-largest populated city in Taiwan. Since commuting to the Taipei metropolitan area is easy, Taoyuan has seen the fastest population growth of all cities in Taiwan. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, which serves the capital, Taipei and the rest of northern Taiwan, is located in this city.
