NUK Sustainability Report

    
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2026-10-12

The Disaster Prevention and Rescue Technology Research Center of the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) and the Kaohsiung City Government Water Resources Bureau jointly hosted the 2026 Kaohsiung Flood-Prone Community Self-Managed Disaster Prevention Program Results Exchange on October 12. Representatives from 18 flood-prone self-managed disaster prevention communities across Kaohsiung, along with local businesses and disaster prevention experts, gathered to share experiences in flood preparedness, emergency response drills, and knowledge transfer. The event highlighted the concrete results of NUK’s long-term engagement in local disaster prevention and its efforts to help communities develop independent emergency response capabilities.

Yu-Hsiang Lin, Director of the Sixth River Management Office of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs, noted that Kaohsiung has been promoting flood-prone community self-managed disaster prevention for 17 years. Early participating communities, including Xingang Village in Yong'an District and Zhonghua Community in Renwu District, have now become seed communities that help other communities develop their own disaster prevention systems. Lin recognized the professional contributions of NUK’s Disaster Prevention Center and other academic teams involved in local disaster prevention, noting that self-managed disaster prevention communities in Tainan and Kaohsiung have continued to perform well in national evaluations. He emphasized that community disaster preparedness depends not only on long-term volunteer participation but also on attracting new members and integrating regional mutual assistance and corporate resources so that residents can take timely action when disasters occur and reduce potential losses.

Yu-Lung Tsai, Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung City Government Water Resources Bureau, noted that climate change has made extreme rainfall events increasingly challenging. Kaohsiung recorded cumulative rainfall exceeding 1,700 millimeters in August this year, highlighting the need to combine flood-control infrastructure with community-based disaster preparedness. While the city government continues to improve flood-control facilities such as levees and detention ponds, frontline communities also play an essential role in environmental inspections, disaster reporting, and evacuation when necessary. This year's program focuses on strengthening the transfer of experience from seed communities, expanding grassroots disaster prevention networks, and implementing public-private collaboration to enhance overall local response capabilities.

Ming-Hao Wu, Director of NUK's Disaster Prevention and Rescue Technology Research Center, said that community-based disaster preparedness requires not only emergency response mechanisms but also continuous capacity building and knowledge transfer. NUK's Disaster Prevention Center has long combined disaster research, technology applications, and local practice. To date, it has supported more than 100 flood-prone, landslide-prone, and resilient communities and trained more than 5,000 disaster prevention specialists, helping local communities strengthen pre-disaster preparedness, disaster assessment, evacuation planning, and emergency response capabilities. In recent years, the Center has also promoted exchanges among seed communities, enabling experienced communities to share practical approaches and helping communities at different stages of development establish disaster prevention mechanisms suited to their local conditions.

At the community level, Xingang Village in Yong'an District incorporated disaster prevention knowledge into local life through a “Xingang Riverside Walk and Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Promotion Activity.” Meanwhile, the Zhonghua Community Development Association in Renwu District conducted a Tabletop Exercise (TTX), allowing residents to become familiar with disaster assessment, task allocation, and emergency decision-making through simulated scenarios. This year, Minxiang Community in Sanmin District and Guanyin Community in Dashe District also joined the flood-prone community self-managed disaster prevention program. With experience transferred from existing seed communities and professional guidance, the grassroots disaster prevention network in Kaohsiung continues to expand.

The exchange event featured community presentations, poster exhibitions, and a comprehensive discussion session. Communities shared practical experiences in routine environmental inspections, disaster prevention education and training, emergency drills, and evacuation assistance for vulnerable residents during disasters. Private-sector exhibitors also demonstrated modular flood barriers, providing participating communities with an opportunity to learn about practical flood-control equipment and its applications. Experts offered recommendations on community organization, technology-enabled disaster prevention, scenario design for emergency drills, and emergency decision-making, facilitating practical knowledge exchange among communities.

The event also recognized communities receiving Grade A and Special Contribution Awards in the 2025 Flood-Prone Community Self-Managed Disaster Prevention Evaluation. Long-term disaster prevention partners—including Dahema Technology, Guanyin Elementary School, Fu-Chi Frozen Foods, and PX Mart—were also recognized for their contributions to local disaster preparedness. Communities were additionally presented with Gold, Silver, Bronze, and special awards based on their annual performance, encouraging them to continuously improve their self-managed disaster prevention capabilities.

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@Disaster Prevention and Rescue Technology Research Center | Activities