TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A project by Academia Sinica simulating climate change finished eighth out of 37 nations around the world, ahead of China and South Korea, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said Wednesday (Nov. 10).

The system, headed by Academia Sinica Research Center for Environmental Changes special researcher Hsu Huang-hsiung (許晃雄), monitored the impact of climate change on Taiwan’s weather, including its occasional extreme weather conditions such as typhoons, torrential rains, and droughts, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

The leading projects originated mostly in European countries such as Norway and Germany, in addition to the United States. However, Taiwan’s effort was on the same level as Japan, which has been active in this climate effort for decades, according to Hsu.

The Academia Sinica simulations supposed that by the end of the 21st century, spring rains will decline, while the number of typhoons in the West Pacific will diminish. In contrast, the force and precipitation of storms will increase, which could mean Taiwan will face longer periods of water shortage but also more short-term floods.