Report

On Monday, November 18, 2024, a COIL lecture was held in the “Water Resource Engineering” class by Professor Kazuto Sakai (Professor, Faculty of Agriculture), featuring guest speaker Associate Professor Liu Ching-Hwang from Chinese Culture University.

Title: “Disaster-related Topics in Taiwan: Typhoons and Tornadoes”
Lecturer: Liu Ching-Hwang (Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Chinese Culture University)
Date and Time: Monday, November 18, 12:50 – 13:50
Format: Online via Zoom
Overview:
This lecture explored Taiwan’s climate and natural disasters, focusing on geographical characteristics, atmospheric circulation, and annual precipitation patterns. Regarding typhoons, the discussion covered basic information such as formation conditions, frequency of occurrence in Taiwan, and the scale of damage, as well as the impact of typhoon paths and intensity on local geography. The lecture also touched on Taiwan’s unique disaster prevention measures and emergency response strategies, including evacuation plans based on rainfall data and an overview of disaster management systems.

For tornadoes, statistical data was used to explain the conditions for their occurrence, primary regions of activity, and the scale of damage they cause. The lecturer also addressed a wide range of questions from students, including the relationship between typhoons and global warming, differences in typhoons between Okinawa and Taiwan, and specific examples of disaster prevention in Taiwan. The lecture provided students with a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s climate and disaster response strategies. It also highlighted the importance of shared knowledge in addressing common disasters among island communities.

Students shared overwhelmingly positive feedback, stating that they “learned a lot from a fresh perspective.” Comments included, “I had never thought about Taiwan’s climate before, so it was eye-opening,” “This was a great opportunity to learn about typhoons and tornadoes,” and “the world’s longest-recorded rainbow* was especially memorable.” Many students also appreciated the detailed responses to their questions, finding the lecture a valuable opportunity to expand their knowledge and perspectives.

*For more information on Professor Liu’s involvement in the “World’s Longest Rainbow Observation,” please refer to the following articles:
-Guinness World Records: “Longest Lasting Rainbow Observation“
-Guinness World Records: “Record confirmed for stunning Taipei rainbow that lasted for almost 9 hours“