Subsequent to relief efforts after Typhoon Morakot, it is an urgent matter to speed up reconstruction work as well as to develop a nation-wide disaster preparedness strategy. In this connection, the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) has mustered its relevant centers and departments to draft and submit a reconstruction proposal for the govement to consider. Several of the NARL's affiliated centers have also engaged in various specific reconstruction efforts: the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction in drafting the victim emergency evacuation and resettlement procedures; the National Space Organization in providing remote sensing images from FORMOSAT-2; and the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in developing reconstruction plans for severely damaged houses and bridges in disaster-stricken areas. Besides, the NARL aspires for a reconstruction on a more compassion or personal ground to help the disaster victims to get back on their feet sooner.
In addition to donating one day's income for relief efforts, several of the NARL employees volunteered in 10 groups of colleagues to take tus being stationed in Chishan and Liukuei Townships of Kaohsiung County to provide consulting services such as grant applications, exteal communications and schooling.
Also the NARL has stepped up its reconstruction efforts by donating computers and other information technology materials to the worst-hit Lin Bieng Elementary School and Wu Tan Elementary School to accelerate restoration of their leaing environments.
In response to the call from the National Science Council and the Ministry of Education, several employees of the National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) will volunteer as science tutors. They will be going to 12 severely damaged elementary schools in Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County from September 21 to 25 to put forward scientific knowledge and environmental protection, hopefully bringing a meaningful back-to-school week for the children in the affected areas. Other partners in this project include the department of natural science of Taipei Municipal University of Education, the National Taiwan Science Education Center, Bayer Taiwan, the Aboriginal Holistic Care Promotion Association in Pingtung County, the Wild Bird Society of Kaohsiung City and the Tainan County Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Society.
The aforementioned is only a beginning. The NARL is fully committed to the follow-up activities that address environmental protection, construction and education of long-term nature. The NARL is to support the disaster victims with real action!
