Taiwan Urgently Needs Water
Taiwan is taking serious steps to deal with its worst drought in 56 years. The extreme dry weather has left many farmers unable to grow crops and is threatening many other businesses in the country. Last year, Taiwan had very little rain and it wasn’t hit by a single typhoon. That has left the island nation struggling with its worst drought in at least 56 years. Lakes and rivers in the central and southern part of the country are drying up. Many of the country’s reservoirs are only 20% full. Some, like the Baoshan No. 2 Reservoir, are less than 10% full. In response to the shortage, the government has been limiting water. For example, people in the central city of Taichung only get water five days a week. For the other two days, they use water stored in buckets or bathtubs. Some businesses that use a lot of water, like swimming pools and car washes, have been forced to shut down. The drought has forced the government to choose between the country’s t