Project Background
Taiwan is frequently impacted by typhoons and extreme rainfall, often resulting in severe flooding. While traditional drainage and flood control projects gradually improve flood protection standards, they require substantial budgets and take years to complete. In many cases, the risks and intensity of flooding—exacerbated by climate change—surpass the design capacity of existing drainage systems. This raises an urgent need for innovative and flexible solutions.
Objectives
The Water Resources Agency (WRA) introduced the Local Flood Retention strategy, a nature-based and non-engineering approach. Through dialogue and coordination with local residents, farmland in flood-prone areas can be temporarily designated as flood retention spaces. By collectively absorbing and storing floodwaters, land resilience is enhanced, and the probability of flooding is reduced.
Implementation
Demonstration Site: Youcai Village (2020)
- Location: Baozhong Township, Yunlin County
- Site: 2.07 hectares of Taiwan Sugar Corporation land
- Features: Implemented without farmland expropriation, based on nature-based design concepts
- Outcome: Successfully demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of Local Flood Retention
Expansion Phase: Youcailiao Drainage (2021–2022)
- Planning launched in 2021 by our Branch
- In April 2022, the Fifth River Management Office completed a 1,150-hectare demonstration area
- Achievements:
- Runoff management through zoning
- Reduction of water levels and peak flows in drainage channels
- Facilitated faster stormwater discharge
- Reduced flood risk for surrounding villages
Achievements and Incentive Mechanisms
Unlike traditional flood control measures requiring high-cost engineering and land acquisition, Local Flood Retention maintains farmland use without expropriation. Participating farmers:
- Continue receiving existing agricultural flood compensation
- Are eligible for additional support, including:
- Water retention rewards
- Crop loss compensation
- Land damage restoration subsidies
- Reimbursement for temporary engineering impacts
To institutionalize this mechanism, our Branch assisted WRA in drafting the Guidelines for Incentives and Compensation for Local Flood Retention by WRA and Its Affiliated Agencies, officially promulgated on July 26, 2021. Rolling reviews and case-based evaluations are ongoing to refine the system.
Future Outlook
Our Branch will continue to expand Local Flood Retention projects across Taiwan, promoting them as a sustainable and nature-based solution to flood risk management under climate change.