As this editorial was being written, flags in Taiwan were still flying at half mast. At this time of national sorrow over the death and destruction wrought by Typhoon Morakot, one of the worst disasters in the island’s history, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei would like to express its sympathy and solicitude to all our friends in Taiwan.

Lying atop seismic faults as well as directly in the path of frequent typhoons, Taiwan is no stranger to natural calamity. But this time – considering the magnitude of the loss of life, the widespread injuries and severe property damage, and the anguish over the fate of missing loved ones – the experience was particularly heart-wrenching.

AmCham is proud that many of our member companies, as good corporate citizens of this society, responded generously with donations of money and supplies. In addition, it was moving to see the American government, placing urgent humanitarian concerns above what could have been obstacles of diplomatic protocol, mobilize U.S. military resources within the region to rush relief supplies and equipment to Taiwan’s aid. When a U.S. transport plane and heavy-lifting helicopters landed on the island, it was one of the very few times that American military aircraft had done so since formal diplomatic relations ended 30 years ago.

The Taiwan government, which disappointed many of its citizens by responding to the disaster less quickly and effectively than conditions required, must now take steps to regain public confidence. Part of the test will be how efficiently the government carries out the reconstruction of the affected areas and cares for those displaced in the interim.

But beyond the immediate tasks they have to be perform, the authorities also need to begin tackling in earnest some more chronic problems – problems that have previously been noted by AmCham in the pages of this magazine and in our annual Taiwan White Paper. One of those issues is the question of how Taiwan manages its water resources to break the cycle of constant alternation of periods of drought and flooding, and in the process to better protect vulnerable areas from soil erosion and landslides. The answer may require not only more public investment but also more reasonable water pricing for consumers. Unless the right measures are taken, the challenge will only grow more serious as global warming brings more extreme weather patterns.

On an even more basic level, it is clear that the government needs to thoroughly revamp its decision-making and coordination process for responding to emergency situations. One of the main themes of AmCham’s 2009 Taiwan White Paper was the executive branch’s frequent shortcomings – no matter which political party is in power – in terms of administrative efficiency and inter-agency coordination. If that has been the case for routine matters, the catastrophe of Typhoon Morakot brought it into even sharper focus.

As always, if AmCham and its member companies possess experience and expertise that could provide useful reference, we will be more than happy to share them in the interest of strengthening Taiwan’s social and economic well-being.