NTHU Inaugurates Sustainability Hub for River Conservation Using Environmental Science and AI

2024.06.05

NTHU established the “NTHU Sustainability Hub for Environmental Science and Watershed Ecosystems” and held the unveiling ceremony today. From left to right: Guei-zhi, Peng (彭桂枝), Chair of the Taiwan Clean Water Action Alliance; Professor Ming-Hsu Li (李明旭), Co-Convenor of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub; Ren-Jie Yang (楊人傑), Director of the Second River Management Branch of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs; Deputy Director Yi-Feng Wang (王藝峰) of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs; NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元); Professor Teng-Chiu Lin (林登秋), Co-Convenor of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub; NTHU Vice President Nyan-Hwa Tai (戴念華); Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou (周秀專), Head of the NTHU Sustainability Hub; Deputy Director Ming-Shi Hong (洪明仕) of the Hsinchu City Industrial Development Department; and Yue-Mei Liu (劉月梅), Honorary Chairperson of the Wilderness Protection Association.

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan inaugurated the " NTHU Sustainability Hub" on June 5, World Environment Day. This hub leverages NTHU's expertise in environmental science and AI technology to collaborate with government agencies and local environmental groups to protect river basins like the Touqian River.

NTHU is committed to preserving the ecological environment of river basins in the Hsinchu area. The university conducts biotoxicity tests on the riverbed sediments of the Touqian and Keya rivers using fixed cameras, drones, and AI image recognition to identify river waste. The new hub will extend this research to the Fengshan River basin.

NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元) emphasized the urgent need to improve water resources and the environment. The NTHU Sustainability Hub aims to transform scientific research into policy initiatives and calls for public participation to achieve its vision of "sparkling springs and emerald forests."

Deputy Director of the Water Resources Agency, Yi-Feng Wang (王藝峰), emphasized that the Touqian and Fengshan rivers supply water to the local population and support technology hubs like the Hsinchu Science Park. The Agency works with local partners to keep these rivers clean. Wang joked that, just like how Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) remembers the local street food from his youth, she hopes that everyone raised in Hsinchu will remember the beauty and vitality of these rivers.

Teng-Chiu Lin (林登秋), co-convener of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub, said that current environmental challenges are complex, requiring cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary cooperation. He expressed confidence that NTHU can tackle this challenging task and provide sustainable governance for the Touqian River as well as rivers across Taiwan.

Vice President and inaugural Sustainability Officer Nyan-Hwa Tai (戴念華) highlighted the appointment of sustainability officers campus-wide. Initiatives include promoting low-carbon transportation, energy-saving facilities, and solar power. The new Sustainability Institute encourages interdisciplinary research, highlighting the university's commitment to sustainable development.

Guei-zhi Peng (彭桂枝), Chair of the Taiwan Clean Water Action Alliance, highlighted the hub's role in deepening collaboration with local organizations, including the Society of Wilderness.

Since last year, NTHU has initiated "River Protection Action" for the Touqian River. Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou's (周秀專) team conducted sediment biotoxicity studies, while Professor Neng-Fu Huang's (黃能富) team developed a real-time waste monitoring model using AI and drones.

Professor Chou's team found high levels of nickel in the Touqian River sediment, indicating severe pollution, with moderate levels of zinc, chromium, and arsenic. Further biotoxicity testing using human cells suggested the potential for kidney cell damage.

Professor Neng-Fu Huang's team installed smart cameras and drones in the upper Touqian River area to capture images that were used for AI training. They achieved over 90% accuracy in identifying river waste like PET bottles and paper cups. This automated process aids in the issuance of warnings and the creation of policy for waste prevention.

The "NTHU Sustainability Hub" is part of the National Science and Technology Council Taiwan Sustainability Hub project, which is driving Taiwan's transformation to sustainability.

NTHU established “NTHU Sustainability Hub for Environmental Science and Watershed Ecosystems” and held the unveiling ceremony today. From left to right: Guei-zhi, Peng (彭桂枝), Chair of the Taiwan Clean Water Action Alliance; Professor Ming-Hsu Li (李明旭), Co-Convenor of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub; Ren-Jie Yang (楊人傑), Director of the Second River Management Branch of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs; Deputy Director Yi-Feng Wang (王藝峰) of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs; NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元); Professor Teng-Chiu Lin (林登秋), Co-Convenor of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub; NTHU Vice President Nyan-Hwa Tai (戴念華); Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou (周秀專), Head of the NTHU Sustainability Hub; Deputy Director Ming-Shi Hong (洪明仕) of the Hsinchu City Industrial Development Department; and Yue-Mei Liu (劉月梅), Honorary Chairperson of the Wilderness Protection Association.

The NTHU Sustainability Hub held its unveiling ceremony on June 5, witnessed by the National Science and Technology Council, Water Resources Agency, and local environmental groups.

NTHU President W. John Kao (高為元)attended the unveiling ceremony of the Sustainability Hub and called for the joint construction of the “sparkling springs and emerald forests” vision.

Professor Teng-Chiu Lin (林登秋), Co-Convenor of the Taiwan Sustainability Hub, expressed confidence that NTHU can point the way to sustainable river governance.

Deputy Director Yi-Feng Wang (王藝峰) of the Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs highlighted the importance of the Touqian and Fengshan rivers to the Hsinchu area.

NTHU's first Chief Sustainability Officer, Nyan-Hwa Tai (戴念華) introduced NTHU 's sustainability initiatives.

NTHU Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou's (周秀專) team collected riverbed sediment samples from Keya Creek.

NTHU Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou's (周秀專) team, dressed in wading gear, collected riverbed sediment samples.

NTHU Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou's (周秀專) team pre-screened sediment samples from the Touqian River.

NTHU Professor Hsiu-Chuan Chou's (周秀專) team sieved and dried riverbed sediment samples.

NTHU Professor Neng-Fu Huang's (黃能富) team trained an AI model to recognize river waste.

The AI system developed by NTHU Professor Neng-Fu Huang's (黃能富) team successfully identified river waste such as paper cups, aluminum cans, and glass bottles captured by camera.

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