TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kaohsiung City Government’s Water Resources Bureau defended its progress on flood mitigation after the National Audit Office criticized the city for slowly implementing measures proposed following Typhoon Gaemi.
The National Audit Office said the city had completed fewer than 20% of the 59 flood mitigation measures proposed after the typhoon, per UDN. It reported that the city government had failed to purchase mobile water pumps on schedule and that maintenance records for existing equipment contained errors.
The office also noted that 19 of the 59 measures still lacked funding as of the end of 2025. It highlighted several flood mitigation facilities that had remained in disrepair for years.
The Water Resources Bureau said emergency repairs and other measures implemented after Gaemi had helped reduce the impact of recent heavy rainfall, per Newtalk. It explained that flood mitigation projects are designed to provide medium- to long-term improvements and therefore require more time to complete.
Regarding funding shortages, damaged facilities, and the delayed purchase of mobile water pumps, the bureau said its budget was limited but that it would continue monitoring the situation and making improvements.
The bureau also faced criticism from opposition politicians. Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Mei-ya (陳美雅) urged the city government to determine why flooding remained a problem despite roughly NT$580 million (US$18.21 million) having been invested in flood-mitigation projects, per UDN.
KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) visited Dianbao Village in Kaohsiung’s Ziguan District and called on the government to reassess flood mitigation measures in the area, per Liberty Times. She urged a comprehensive review of the village’s infrastructure, saying it had experienced repeated flooding.
In response to Chen’s criticism, the bureau said mitigation measures had reduced the areas affected by flooding but warned that engineering solutions have limitations when faced with extreme rainfall.
In a related development, department stores across Kaohsiung remained open despite the city’s suspension of work and classes, drawing criticism from workers, per CNA. Employees said that even E-DA Theme Park, located in a mountainous area of Kaohsiung, did not allow workers to take the day off.
The theme park said employees could request breaks if flooding or other safety concerns prevented them from working. Two minor landslides occurred Sunday on a road leading to the theme park, per SETN.
