Analysis and Evaluation of Taiwan Water Shortage Factors and Solution Strategies

Water resources are precious but limited natural possessions and significant to people’s livings. If the water resources could not be allocated well, the related problems will grow. The water shortage problems are not only related to rainfall, geographic landform, climate, populations, and economic activities, but also allocation, supply, and management of water resources. Hence, water shortage has become an important issue in our country. This study aims to discuss the factors of water shortage from the viewpoints of political-economics, nature, and management. Natural factors cover special geographic structure, geological structure, and climate change. Management factors include sediment deposit, water turbidity, soil conservation, water nutrition, pipeline leaking, water pollution, water waste, and water organizations. From the management perspective, the importance of water shortage factors is assessed to understanding the critical factors. The analytic hierarchy process was used to evaluate the water shortage factors to promote the rationalization of strategy formulation. The results show that higher important facts are water waste, soil conservation, and pipeline leaking