-
By Sutandra Singha
-
-
Taiwan and India face the same environmental threats — cyclones and typhoons, heavier floods and rising water stress. Typhoon Haikui brought torrential rain to Taiwan in 2023, while severe cyclones and repeated monsoon floods have battered the coastal cities of India over the past few years. These disasters are not isolated events, but part of a wider pattern of climate risk. Both countries’ governments have set ambitious climate goals: India targets net zero emissions by 2070, Taiwan by 2050. However, pledges mean little without real action. Practical cooperation that delivers results on the ground is needed.
The two countries possess complementary strengths. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has decades of records on the South Asian monsoon. Taiwan operates one of the region’s densest radar and satellite systems. If these assets are linked, forecasts could become more accurate and warnings timelier. A good starting point would be a data-sharing agreement between the IMD and the Central Weather Administration. This could expand into joint simulations, coastal evacuation planning and public awareness campaigns. Such steps are simple, avoid political sensitivities and, most importantly, save lives. They also show people on both sides the real value of cooperation.
Flood risks can be reduced with technology. Cameras, artificial intelligence (AI) and live maps track which streets are underwater in real time. That allows authorities to send alerts to pump operators, traffic police and emergency responders. Indian cities such as Chennai, Kochi and Mumbai already maintain large CCTV networks for traffic. Taiwan’s flood-mapping technology could help cities act quickly, ease traffic jams and lower economic costs. The resulting data would also help insurers and banks design new financial products for climate resilience. Pilot projects in Indian cities could offer blueprints for Jakarta; Manila; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; where rapid urban growth meets increasing climate threats.
Water management is another area of concern. Across Asia, wastewater is often dumped instead of being reused. Taiwan has promoted recycling, turning wastewater into a resource for cooling, landscaping and industry. This approach saves water, reduces pollution and lowers energy demand. Taiwan and India have already held water forums. Building on that, pilot projects in Indian industrial parks could reuse treated wastewater, capture nutrients for fertilizers and generate energy from sludge. These steps bolster water security while also helping utilities reduce costs. Such projects would show how climate resilience and financial viability can go hand in hand. Climate action also needs finance. India is working on a climate finance taxonomy to guide banks and investors.
Taiwan has started a carbon fee and tightened corporate sustainability rules. If both frameworks are aligned, they can unlock larger pools of green finance and attract global environmental, social and corporate governance investors. Joint Indo-Taiwan projects would then find it easier to raise affordable funding. If positioned as benchmarks for the wider region, these tools could also help ASEAN and Pacific island nations gain better access to capital for clean energy and adaptation.
Research cooperation adds another layer. The Indo-Taiwan Joint Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is already in place. It has studied flood forecasts, crop stress, air pollution and energy demand, but more is needed. Research should not stay in academic journals. It must deliver usable tools for cities: open dashboards, open-source code and simple training kits. Otherwise, millions spent on studies bring little benefit to ordinary people.
The fourth annual Asia-Pacific Forum and Exposition for Sustainability was held from Thursday to yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center. It is a major stage to showcase results. India could use such platforms to make announcements on joint AI flood sensors, wastewater pilots and early-warning protocols to show commitment. Public demonstrations could send strong signals to investors, banks and city leaders that cooperation delivers.
A clear roadmap would sustain the momentum. In the first year, one coastal city and one industrial park could test AI-based flood alerts and wastewater reuse. In the next two years, standards for open data, procurement and training could be codified. Within five years, blended finance — combining green bonds, international grants and local budgets — could scale these projects across multiple cities. By then, pilots would have become part of mainstream urban planning.
These steps produce tangible results: faster storm warnings, fewer lives lost, less flood damage and millions of liters of water saved each year. They make use of Taiwan’s precision technology and India’s operational scale, a natural fit that can be replicated across the Indo-Pacific region. Importantly, such local projects do not need to wait for grand political deals. Mayors and municipal leaders can act first.
Public debate on Taiwan-India ties often revolves around semiconductors, supply chains and critical minerals. These are important, but climate change is already here. Typhoons and floods do not wait for diplomatic breakthroughs. Cooperation on early warnings, resilient drainage and water reuse makes the relationship concrete, visible and valuable to citizens. It turns diplomacy into action that saves lives.
If pilot projects are launched this year and scaled up over five years, Taiwan and India could position themselves as leaders in Asia’s resilience economy. Benefits would go far beyond bilateral ties. Coastal disasters could cause fewer casualties, millions of liters of water could be reclaimed and new models for adaptation could be shared across the Indo-Pacific. The message would be simple: Taiwan and India can turn shared risks into shared solutions.
These efforts focus on practical outcomes, bringing tangible benefits where they are needed most. They strengthen trust, attract finance and build public goods for the wider region. This is exactly the kind of practical cooperation the Indo-Pacific needs today.
Sutandra Singha is an independent researcher with a doctorate in international studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, specializing in climate change.
