- Date:2026-06-23
- Department:Comprehensive Planning Division
In response to recent rodent issues in Taipei City, Commissioner Hsu Shih-hsun of the Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government, led a team today (the 4th) to visit the Ministry of Environment. They were received by Deputy Ministers Shieh Yen-ru and Shen Chih-hsiu, along with officials from the Chemicals Administration and the Environmental Management Administration. During the meeting, both parties engaged in in-depth exchanges regarding Taipei City's current rodent control methods, the disclosure of baiting station information, and the challenges encountered. The Ministry of the Environment emphasized that the central government will adhere to its stance of supervision and professional consultation, and will fully cooperate with local governments to jointly safeguard the quality of the living environment for citizens.
Commissioner Hsu stated during the meeting that the Taipei City Government attaches great importance to the rodent problem. Officials at the municipal level frequently convene cross-departmental meetings to coordinate efforts, prioritizing environmental cleanup and maintenance while supplementing these measures with the use of pesticides. Control measures are tailored to local conditions based on on-site assessments, and positive results have already been achieved.
Deputy Ministers Shieh Yen-ru and Shen Chih-hsiu both pointed out that rodent control is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Environmental Protection; it requires the establishment of a city-wide systematic response mechanism. In light of the current situation in Taipei City, the Ministry of Environment compiled and proposed the following four major enhancement recommendations:
- Division of Labor and Collaborative Response: Following the model used for dengue fever prevention and control, senior city government officials coordinate with relevant departments—including those responsible for environmental protection, public health, parks, markets, sewer systems, and neighborhood affairs—to strengthen cross-agency coordination and resource allocation.
- Transparency in Information Disclosure: Control efforts and specific measures should be actively promoted to keep the public clearly informed. This not only increases the transparency of control efforts but also reminds citizens to ensure the safety of their children and pets.
- Implementation of Regional Division of Labor: Clearly assign responsibility for public areas to specific departments and enforce a division-of-labor mechanism to ensure that control measures are fully implemented in rodent-prone areas—including markets, parks, and sewer systems—leaving no blind spots.
- Convening Expert Meetings: Experts and scholars in environmental sanitation and rodent control should be invited to meetings to formulate scientific control strategies based on local environmental characteristics and rodent behavior patterns.
Following the meeting, both sides reached a consensus that rodent control is a long-term environmental management effort that cannot be achieved overnight. Strategies should be dynamically adjusted based on the three core principles: "cutting off their food supply, blocking their paths, and eliminating their nests."
Finally, the Ministry of the Environment reiterated that the central government will continue to provide professional technical support to assist local governments in implementing prevention and control measures. It has also instructed the Department of Information and Technology to compile and make public relevant educational resources to raise public awareness of epidemic prevention. Through close cooperation between the central and local governments and the integration of scientific prevention and control measures with administrative resources, the government aims to build a safer and cleaner urban living environment for the citizens of Taipei.
