In order to facilitate the exchange of post-disaster reconstruction experience for different disaster types across nations, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) hosted the “New Direction in Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: Livelihoods, Resilience, and Sustainability” international academic symposium on June 10th and 11th at the NPUST international conference hall. Nearly 200 local and foreign scholars, governmental representatives, community trainers, community leaders, and university faculty and students attended the symposium.

Professor Douglas Paton from Australia, part of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, as well as many renowned disaster prevention and community reconstruction experts and community workers from the Philippines, Japan, Haiti, New Zealand, and Taiwan held 8 academic exchange and discussion sessions. This international academic symposium provided an opportunity for everyone to learn about different disaster management models as well as new information. This will enable better disaster prevention education and post-disaster reconstruction work in Taiwan as we seek to adopt international standards.

Chief Secretary of the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, Chang Herng-yuh, was invited to host the disaster management system session. He pointed out the post-disaster reconstruction challenges faced by the Taiwanese government in 2009, after Typhoon Morakot caused major devastation in terms of lives lost and property damage. Morakot Post-Disaster reconstruction was carried out based on the principles of safety, efficiency, respect, and innovation. Related work was completed gradually over a period of five years with close cooperation between the government and private sectors. This experience has prompted documentaries by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, Discovery, and the National Geographic Channel. The Society for Social Management Systems symposium held in Australia last year also looked at aspects of Taiwan’s Morakot Post-Disaster employment, culture, and everyday reconstruction efforts, as well as sustainable community planning for further discussion of post-disaster reconstruction.

Chief of the University of the Philippines International Center Disaster Studies, Dr. NeriZayas, mentioned that a key issue in reconstruction in the Philippines is the distrust which disaster victims have towards the government and private organizations. Chief Secretary Chang responded by stating that the government worked with private organizations that had existing local relationships, thereby speeding up communication and opinion integration. The Reconstruction Council also accrued trust by working for residents in reconstruction regions. This was the reason why TSMC, the Evergreen Group and China Steel used lithe council when they dedicated resources for the reconstruction effort. Trust has been an underlying principle for cooperation between the public and private sectors throughout Morakot Post-Disaster reconstruction.

Jiang Guo-ren Deputy Director-general of the Department of Social Assistance and Social Work, Ministry of Health and Welfare, thanked everyone for their kind donations and volunteer efforts during the 921 Earthquake and Typhoon Morakot. However, he reiterated that the resources accumulated and the resilience and recovery capacity developed post-disaster are something Taiwan should be proud of. Today is an excellent opportunity to form a basis for cooperation with partners with expertise in international disaster management, he said. We can learn from their strengths while also demonstrating Taiwan’s efforts in life reconstruction, community empowerment, and permanent housing construction as we work jointly to refine post-disaster reconstruction and recovery models for the future.

After the two day symposium, five experts from various nations accompanied by representatives of the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and NPUST visited Siaolin Village Memorial Park on 12th which memorializes the village destroyed in the disaster. They then visited Jiaxian, where industry has rapidly revived, to share a meal with Southeast Asian elements infused by new immigrants. Finally, they visited the Shanlin Daai Community, as known as Happy Owl Community, an example of rapid post-disaster reconstruction work and the renowned Buddha Memorial Center to experience Taiwan’s strength of recovery firsthand.

Experience exchange between Taiwan and Australia

Local and foreign scholars, governmental representatives attended the symposium.