In response to the increasing threats posed by global climate change to the environment, human survival, and national security, the Executive Yuan approved the “Net-Zero Emissions Pathway Outline Plan (2023–2026)” in January 2023, incorporating the “2050 Net-Zero Emissions” goal into the national development agenda. In alignment with this goal, Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs has been implementing carbon reduction measures in hydraulic engineering and carbon sequestration through afforestation, gradually achieving various targets by 2024.
In 2024, the branch executed 20 engineering projects, with a total approved carbon emission volume of 34,400 tCO2e. The contracted carbon emission volume was 20,898 tCO2e, resulting in a carbon reduction of 13,502 tCO2e—equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of approximately 35 Da’an Forest Parks. The proportion of green expenditure reached 11.97%. During the design phase, carbon emissions were estimated based on the WRA’s “Reference Guidelines for Carbon Reduction in Hydraulic Engineering,” and various strategies were employed, such as earthwork balance (reuse of surplus soil nearby), local sourcing of materials (e.g., gabions, box gabions, pitched stone, riprap), increased use of supplementary cementitious materials in concrete, porous asphalt pavement, and geotextile-reinforced revetments. Landscaping materials were selected for their green building or environmental labels (e.g., high-pressure bricks, faux timber railings, timber bricks) to reduce emissions and increase the proportion of green spending. For its innovative carbon reduction design, the “Heshe River Improvement Project near Longhua Elementary School” employed geotextile-reinforced revetments and locally sourced riprap, earning second place in the WRA’s Innovative Carbon Reduction Design Awards. During construction, contractors were encouraged to manage operations autonomously by optimizing construction routes, minimizing machinery idling, and adopting high-efficiency, energy-saving alternative methods (e.g., system formwork) to improve construction efficiency.
Regarding tree planting for carbon sequestration, six new construction projects in 2024 included tree planting efforts, with over 1,348 trees and 66,138 shrubs planted across 2 hectares. Additionally, under the Zhuoshui River dust control project, over 37,000 trees were planted in the downstream estuarine area, covering 20 hectares. In 2023, corporate sponsorship led to the planting of 2,480 trees on the upstream sandbars of the Xiluo Bridge. The “Dongbunei River Green Beautification and Tree Planting Project (2022)” was approved on July 12, 2024, as the nation’s first voluntary afforestation carbon offset project by the Ministry of Environment. On July 4, 2024, it was included in the field learning curriculum of the Executive Yuan’s 15th National Affairs Research Class and 14th Senior Leadership Research Class, where experiences on applying for voluntary reduction projects were shared. Additionally, through WRA coordination, the “TSMC Heritage Tree Planting Program” resulted in the planting of 7,300 trees in the floodplain of the Mailiao section of the Zhuoshui River.
The Fourth River Management Branch was awarded first place in the WRA’s 2023 carbon reduction performance evaluation and an honorable mention in 2024. The Branch will continue advancing hydraulic engineering carbon reduction and afforestation for carbon sequestration to support the 2050 Net-Zero goal, aiming to transform climate risks into opportunities for green transition and sustainable living.