TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has incorporated technologies for better management of environmental affairs as the country boosts its digital governance practices.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Thursday (Aug. 11) unveiled measures that serve to improve pollution control and reduce hazards for garbage collectors.

A highlight is the introduction of an updated tablet computer that allows the agency’s crew to get a grasp of each environmental inspection with the help of big data, AI, and data visualization technologies. The approach renders information of targeted business premises and pollution risks involved clearer, making the inspection process more efficient.

Another innovation is mitigating hazards associated with trash collection through the use of IoT and blind spot detection technologies on garbage trucks. Also, it has created a monitoring system for the movement of 320 such vehicles in Taoyuan and Hsinchu in a trial project for a broader digital management system to be implemented nationwide.

As part of structural reform, the EPA will be upgraded to a Cabinet-level ministry, as soon as 2023. It will consist of three agencies responsible for climate change, resource circulation, and environmental management, respectively.

The environmental management unit will spearhead digital transformation for the ministry. The task involves building a cloud system that enforces environmental enforcement, promotes environmental disinfection, and manages the country’s environmental facilities.