Announcement

During 6-10 August, NIED team visited Hualien, Taiwan that was hit by a devastating M7.2 earthquake in April 2024. Guided by the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), the team visited disaster-affected sites along Provincial Road No. 8 inside the Taroko National Park, damaged building in Hualien City and the Ninth River Management Branch, Water Resource Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The team also visited Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, which is home-based in Hualien, to learn on how a local NGO has been effectively partnering and supporting the government and local communities in disaster relief operations through its innovative relief products. Tzu Chi has also assisted effected communities in Japan that were affected by the Noto Peninsular that occurred on January 2024.

In Taipei, a workshop was organized by NCDR that covered issues from search and rescue during Hualien earthquake disaster, earthquake scenario simulation to analysis of earthquake damage using satellite imagery. NIED researchers also shared their research outputs from the Noto Peninsular earthquake recovery and other related activities.

The final program was with the Central Weather Administration (CWA) in which its Seismological Center introduced their seismic monitoring system, earthquake data analysis and early warning system. The two organizations agreed to explore future possibilities to collaborate in the research/analytical work.