The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of Taipei City Government announced its 2017 Universiade Air Quality Forecast Service today (July 18). The DEP will provide air quality forecasts for all Universiade venues during the game period and has set up a dedicated web page: (http://taipei2017.weatherrisk.com/). It will provide instant air quality information and 2-day air quality forecasts and also a bilingual weather broadcast service. For 30 days in succession begin from August 1, it will provide Chinese air quality video broadcast and, for 19 days in succession begin from August 12 (when delegations begin to enter the Athletes’ Village), will provide English air quality forecast videos as the reference for all of the athletes in the village, as well as for judges and spectators. To further serve citizens of Taipei City, start from next year, the DEP plans to provide next-day morning, afternoon, and evening air quality forecasts.
A DEP spokesperson said, at present, the Environmental Protection Administration’s air quality forecasts are provided for large areas (northern Taiwan: Taipei City, Keelung City, New Taipei City and Taoyuan City), Hsinchu and Miaoli, Central Taiwan, Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan, Kaohsiung-Pingtung, Yilan, and Hualien-Taitung. For example, the scope of the northern Taiwan’s forecast is 13 times the size of Taipei City, which leaves citizens unable to obtain a relatively precise forecast for the area they are in. In light of this, since 2016 the DEP has been preparing to provide forecast for Taipei encompassing a smaller area and, it is estimated, that start from next year the public will be able to obtain more precise air quality forecast information about Taipei.
The DEP stated that major cities worldwide already conduct their own air quality forecasts, such as London, Paris, France, Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Athletes and visitors will come to Taiwan for the Taipei 2017 Universiade from around the world. In order to show everyone the effort and the determination that Taipei City attaches to environmental protection, the DEP has set up a dedicated web page that will provide instant air quality information and 2-day forecast for various competition venues.
Also, to ensure that the air quality of each venue is good during the games, the DEP will implement related control measures in coordination with the city/county governments where other venues are located. These measures, intended to reduce pollution emissions during the games, include arranging for large fixed pollution source operators to shut down for annual maintenance and to stop or reduce coal-fired furnace use; also, within a radius of two kilometers of venues, fugitive dust and mobile pollution source inspection and control will be strengthened. By doing so, it is estimated that these measures will reduce PM2.5 emissions by 1.46 tons, PM10 by 40.39 tons, carbon monoxide by 109.76 tons, sulfur oxides by 74.2 tons, and nitrogen oxides by 194.35. At the same time, protecting the right to breathe healthily of athletes, judges and spectators. The effort to reduce air pollution will show the world that Taiwan is a place that really cares about environmental protection.
Director of the DEP Ming-Lung Liu said that Taipei 2017 Universiade is an international sporting event second only to the Olympics in scale. Taipei City is proud to be the host of it. Director Liu hopes that the people of Taiwan will flood into the venues to support Chinese Taipei’s outstanding athletes, also, he encourages everyone to utilize the air quality forecast service provided by the DEP, pay attention to the quality of the air they breathe, and support the DEP’s air quality maintenance policies, working together for cleaner air!!
