Dr. Chien-Hsin Lai

Dr. Lai was appointed the Director-General of Water Resources Agency (WRA) Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan as from November 2016. He received his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. Degree in Soil and Water Conservation at National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan. In 2001, he was invited as a visiting scholar at the University of California- Berkeley on the topic of river ecological restoration.

Dr. Lai has extensive experience in the field of Water Resources Management. He dedicated his time and efforts to promote transparent administration and the cooperation between the public and private sectors. Under his leadership, his team received the National Environmental Education Award for the promotion of environmental education at the Tsengwen Reservoir. Other significant achievements include creating a win-win scenario for enterprises and farmer associations by linking them together to carry out smart agricultural irrigation, and championing the legislation of recycled water development and regulations, as well as the inclusion of “Runoff distribution, Outflow regulation” in the amendment to the Water Act.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Lai has been involved in many important government projects, including the constructions of levees, dikes and dams. In the aftermath of the Chi-Chi Earthquake, he directed the emergency measure plan in response to the landslide-dammed lake in Cao Ling. He also led the trans-watershed diversion project and sediment sluicing tunnel project at the Tsengwen Reservoir. Many projects under his leadership have received awards. For instance, the Improvement Project for Tsengwen Reservoir and the Headrace Channel Construction Project for Hushan Dam both received the Golden Quality Awards from the Public Construction Commission.