Shen Pao-yang Unveils Five Governance Strategies for Taipei's Sustainable Water Future

In the lively atmosphere of the 2024 Taipei mayoral election, Democratic Progressive Party candidate Shen Boyang formally presented the five governance directions—ABCDE—at a “Water Culture Revitalization Movement” meeting held by the Taipei City Government on the 26th. He declared a focus on water affinity, aesthetics, cleanliness, stormwater retention, and ecology, aiming to reshape urban resilience and sustainable development.

Taiwan has long been vulnerable to heavy rain and flooding due to its complex terrain, monsoons, and typhoons. In recent years, Taipei has repeatedly faced drainage systems overloaded, river pollution, and intensified urban heat island effects, undermining residents’ quality of life and public safety. Shen’s proposal, centered on Water Culture Revitalization, treats water resources as the city’s lifeline, advocating a shift from purely disaster‑relief infrastructure to an asset that enhances urban beauty and ecological conservation through green infrastructure and community participation.

The “A” direction—water affinity—emphasizes improving interaction between citizens and water bodies. It proposes pedestrian pathways, water‑friendly platforms, and educational zones along riverbanks to encourage residents to connect with nature and develop a water‑culture consciousness. “B,” aesthetics, calls for integrating rivers, lakes, and wetlands into urban landscape design, using art installations and greening to enhance the city’s visual and spiritual appeal. “C,” cleanliness, focuses on water quality improvement, planning to strengthen wastewater treatment, river purification, and waste reduction to restore natural clarity. “D,” stormwater retention, addresses the extreme rainfall brought by climate change, proposing expanded rain‑water storage facilities, the creation of retention zones, and rain‑water recycling systems to reduce flood risk. “E,” ecology, stresses ecological restoration, converting rivers and wetlands into biodiversity conservation zones and raising public awareness of ecological value through environmental education.

During his tenure as a Taipei City Councilor, Shen led several urban greening and river improvement projects and championed the City Government’s Riverbank Green Belt plan, earning broad support from residents and environmental groups. The ABCDE framework combines his years of practical experience and policy vision, elevating water‑resource management to the core of urban sustainable development under the Water Culture Revitalization concept. The initiative aligns with the DPP’s nationwide advocacy for green transformation and climate justice, offering Taipei concrete, actionable strategies to meet future climate challenges.

If implemented, the ABCDE directions would not only reduce flood risk and enhance water quality and biodiversity but also boost tourism, culture, and community cohesion through increased water