"CommonWealth Magazine Future City, CSR@CommonWealth" held the "2023 4th SDGs Int'l Forum" at the Hua Nan Commercial Bank Corporate Plaza (28th). This year's theme is "Relay for Sustainability." The forum invited Deputy Mayor Yu-Min Wang to give a speech on "DEI@TAICHUNG." She stated that rivers are the lifeblood and the heart of the city. The city government must also care for the feelings and needs of diverse ethnic groups and strive to achieve diversity, equality, and inclusion through public-private cooperation and cross-generational participation in governance and conservation. Let "water" be a symbol of inclusion and diversity, turn a new page in construction, and create a water culture capital.
In 2015, the United Nations proposed the "2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" to guide global action toward sustainability. Deputy Mayor Wang attended the SDGs Int'l Forum today and said that Taichung City has many rivers passing by. Therefore, constructing a city's water culture, promoting sustainable education, and preserving these resources has always been a focal point for Taichung City. The government has established four environmental education museums to preserve precious historical data on water culture in Taichung. It includes the Dongda River Water Culture and Environmental Education Hall, Yanagawa Water Culture and Environmental Education Hall, Fazi River Water Culture and Environmental Education Hall, and Midorigawa Water Culture and Environmental Education Hall. The city government hopes to educate the public about the importance of environmental protection during the river renovation process. They hope to integrate culture and education through flexible engineering governance so that everyone can cherish the environment from their hearts and understand it.

Deputy Mayor Wang also said that taking the Dongda River project as an example is part of public-private cooperation. The past Dongda River locates next to Tunghai University. With the rise of the night market in the Tunghai business district, domestic and business wastewater continued to flow in. The water quality was turbid and smelly, which became a stinky ditch. Before launching the project, the city government established a consensus with the people and listened to the opinions of all parties through several briefing sessions and reading while walking workshops for national NGO groups. The environmental education hall also cooperates with the transmission of education and trains many guides. Multiple participation lets more groups be willing to protect the environment together, leading to the Dongda River case successfully with a beautiful and educational environment.

The city government is committed to not only remediating the Dongda River but also to restoration work. They invited citizens to participate in planting 17 species, as many as 360 native plants. Also, install dozens of owl nest boxes to promote owl conservation and create a water-friendly environment where people and nature coexist. Moreover, the city government is also reducing pollution sources at the source. In particular, the "Good Baby Label for Business" was conceived with a pangolin as the protagonist to praise businesses that install oil traps and encourage people to shop at stores that care about the environment. The government hopes to contribute to the Dongda River's water quality improvement and create a sustainable water environment through collective efforts.
Furthermore, take the Midorigawa renovation project as an example of generation involvement. The city government lets children know the preciousness of rivers through painting activities. Besides, a water conservancy action demonstration and publicity vehicle, "Love Water Putt-Putt Car," with multiple functions such as games and educational publicity, bring significant concepts to children. The city government invites the second generation of new residents to sing the song of Midorigawa culture, linking their own national culture through the river and linking ethnic groups into a diverse and equal part. As for the integration of disadvantaged groups, the city government trains homeless people originally in Midorigawa to become guides, using their life experiences to lead everyone to know a different river.
Deputy Mayor Wang further indicated that the Dongda River Project won the "Healthy City--Green City Award" from the Ministry of Health and Welfare under the theme of "Public-private cooperation for more powerful and sustainable development of Dongda River." It also won the Golden Apple Award, the highest honor award from NGO groups, for the "Dongda River Water Environment and Adjacent Area Environmental Improvement Project," and highly recognized its achievements. It is a seldom award in river engineering, showing Taichung's dedication and efforts in the environment. Taichung City will continue to create a healthy, sustainable, and livable Taichung City for happy citizens through public-private cooperation, combining multiple resources, and creating a “friendly environment for health and well-being.”

The organizer stated that after three years of tests, such as the epidemic, the threat of war, inflation, the energy crisis, and economic recession, they have almost returned the sustainable achievements to their original form. The epidemic and war have also delayed the transformation of the global green economy. Greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 14% over the past decade. Nevertheless, the pace of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has not stopped. The theme of this year's forum is "Relay for Sustainability," with eight topics including climate action, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) city, net-zero city, just transformation, the new business model of life, sustainable society, energy transition, and data empowerment. Nearly 30 guests have been invited to join and collaborate in reshaping the team, taking measured steps to overcome crises, and advancing towards the 2030 goals.

Today's forum participants included Deputy Mayor Wang, Vice Premier of the Executive Yuan Wen-Tsan Cheng, Pingtung County Mayor Chun-Mi Zhou, Yunlin County Mayor Li-shan Chang, Keelung Mayor Guo-Liang Xie, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-Mai Chen, Taoyuan City Deputy Mayor Jun-Bin Su, Taipei City Deputy Mayor Yi-Hua Lin, and Director of the Environmental Protection Department of New Taipei City Da-Wei Cheng.

Contact Person: Section Chief Zheng, Water Resources Bureau of Taichung City Government
Contact number: 04-22289111 extension 53751