While natural disasters certainly do not help people to live here, they do increase our awareness about the environment in which we live. Many of the buildings in Taiwan are made with lots and lots of solid concrete so that they won't collapse when an earthquake or typhoon comes. On the other hand, frequent rainfall helps the many crops throughout Taiwan, such as bananas, grass, rice and sweet potatoes, grow as desired. The warm, wet climate is crucial for the successful farming of local crops.
Clearly, it can also be very dangerous to experience earthquakes and typhoons so often. Several earthquakes in Taiwan have proven deadly and each year, on September 21, everyone in Taiwan holds a nationwide earthquake drill to practice how we can stay safe in an earthquake. September 21 is also the day that commemorates the 1999 earthquake that killed thousands of people.
Like every country around the world, Taiwan is experiencing the effects of global warming. This means that the temperatures on the island are higher at all times of the year. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons, are also less predictable. Many people in Taiwan are surprised that there has not been a severe typhoon or earthquake on the island in years. We can only assume that this is a result of the Earth constantly changing.
