The Water Sustainability Lab at NCKU, led by Professor Hsiao-Wen Wang of the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, has worked on research around sustainable sediment management in reservoirs in Taiwan since 2011. Taiwan’s water resources are largely collected in reservoirs, but due to high rates of erosion and high sediment loads in mountain rivers, reservoirs in Taiwan are filling with sediment rapidly. Traditional sediment management methods are not enough to address the challenges. It is important to find sustainable methods of managing sediment in reservoirs in order to extend reservoir lifespans and protect water resources. Such a management plan must consider not only sedimentation of the reservoir, but national water supply needs, economic operations of the reservoir, as well as the sediment load, safety, and ecological health of the downstream channel. Their work has focused largely on Agongdian Reservoir in southern Taiwan, and Techi Reservoir in central Taiwan. The purpose of the project is to understand the efficiency of current sediment management practices in both reservoirs through surveys and data collection, conduct numerical simulations and economic analyses, and propose more sustainable management practices.

The Water Sustainability Lab at NCKU, led by Professor Hsiao-Wen Wang of the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering is dedicated to identifying sustainable water management plans for wetlands in Taiwan. Taiwan is part of the East-Asian Australian Flyway and provides critical wetland habitat to migratory birds. With land use and development pressures growing around the world, wetlands face an ongoing threat of development. Abandoned salt pans in Taiwan provide a range of ecosystem services that have cultural, environmental, and monetary value. The Water Sustainability Lab is involved in long term research in Budai Salt Pan Wetland and Chigu Salt Pan Wetland located in Southwestern Taiwan. The researchers utilize both scientific data collection, mapping, hydrologic modeling as well as local knowledge to identify the most sustainable management plan for the wetlands, highlighting the need for local participation and wetland wise-use. The idea behind wetland wise-use is finding the balance between the utilization of ecosystem services provided by wetlands with wetland preservation to create a management plan that allows communities to live with wetlands instead of just next to wetlands. Their research has identified 11 ecosystem services provided by these saltpan wetlands, including: food, genetic materials, climate regulation, water purification and waste treatment, natural hazard regulation, pollination, spiritual and inspirational value, recreation, aesthetic value, education, and nutrient cycling. These ecosystem services have high value as the quality of the salt pan water influences the quality of the channel water, which is used in agriculture and aquaculture in the region. The salt pan wetlands also provide healthy habitat and food for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill, which provides aesthetic, educational and eco-tourism opportunities. The natural hazard regulation services provided by the salt pans are also increasingly important, as the surrounding fishponds and villages face flooding and land subsidence problems that will worsen with climate change. Research in Budai Salt Pan wetland has proven through modeling, physical experimentation and real time implementation of flood management practices, that if the water gates are managed well, the abandoned salt pans in Budai are able to play an important role in protecting neighboring communities from flooding while at the same time preserving bird habitat. The Water Sustainability Lab continues to work with stakeholders to create sustainable water management plans for wetlands that promotes local participation and wetland wise-use.

Dr. John F. Harrison has worked on landslide susceptibility mapping since 2010. This research involves the development of landslide inventories from high resolution satellite imagery acquired from Formoso 2 satellite imagery. As Typhoon rainfall plays a significant role in causing landslides, typhoon event-based landslide datasets were created to obtain sets of data representing environmental conditions where landslides are likely to occur. These datasets are integrated into statistical model combinations. Causative factors including slope angle, rock strength drainage, curvature and soil type were identified playing an important role in landslide activity. The use of bivariate statistical model combinations are used to test the representativeness of hazard prone location. Importantly, modulating factor combinations can help to mirror true environmental conditions, yielding an improved method for identifying landslide susceptibility models for the application to rainfall-triggered landslide hazard models.

Sustainable Management of Geohazard Prone Communities

Dr. John F. Harrison has worked on research involving the investigation of community-based landslide mitigation planning since 2010. Mountain communities in Taiwan are faced with geohazards, specifically the ever present danger of landslides. This research incorporates landslide susceptibility index models, landslide inventory datasets and field work to identify landslide prone areas in Maolin District, Taiwan. In order to include the voice of the local communities, pilot surveys have been conducted in three communities (Dona Village, Wanshan Village, and Maolin Village). Field work has revealed that debris avalanches and debris flows are the two types of mass movements within the district. Furthermore, the LSI and landslide inventory datasets correlate with landslide locations. The questionnaires also help to understand that residents favor environmental protection, working in their community and improved geohazard management. This research addresses and improves upon the process of identifying, supporting, and bettering the management of communities prone to landslides.