As Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan, the country is bracing for impact with schools and financial markets shut down. The typhoon, with wind speeds reaching 173 km/h, is expected to make landfall near Kaohsiung or Tainan. Taiwan has evacuated over 10,000 people from vulnerable areas as a precaution, with nearly 40,000 troops on standby for relief efforts. Experts attribute the increasing intensity of typhoons to climate change, posing a significant challenge to the region. Follow the link to learn more about typhoons and their impact.
Preparedness and Response in Taiwan
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has put schools and markets closed on the financial island’s southeast in anticipation of Typhoon Krathon. INQUIRY The typhoon is expected to make landfall Wednesday, but the slow-moving nature of Ompong forced authorities to maintain alert levels and readiness. The government’s attempt to evacuate people and the mobilization of the Army indicates that the situation is this serious. This is in one part due to the slowdown of the trade winds caused by climate change and, more alarming, due to the effect that human-induced climate change can have on typhoon intensity.
Effect on Infrastructure and Settlements
Typhoon Krathon is expected to disrupt flights, close businesses and force evacuations on arrival The empty streets and high waves in Kaohsiung show what the typhoon could wreak. Taiwan is bracing for strong winds and heavy downpours, along with flooding, property damage, and potential casualties. It will stretch the resilience of our communities and challenge the preparedness of our response systems.
Climate Change and Readiness For The Future
The growing power of typhoons as climate change accelerates threatens Taiwan and other relatively defenseless parts of the planet. Quantifying the broad societal benefits of adaptive strategies and resilient infrastructure and how they can help to manage ever-increasing extreme weather events with greater frequency and severity is imperative. Even more importantly, the landfall of typhoon Krathon was a powerful wake-up call highlighting dramatically the climate change/ natural disaster nexus which makes this issue one of common interest to nations and organizations around the world.
