Taiwan Empirical Survey Data Platform

On September 23, an overflow and dam breach occurred at the landslide lake in the upper reaches of the Mataian Creek in Hualien, flooding the downstream Guangfu Township and affecting over a thousand households. Most of the casualties were elderly residents living in remote areas. Under extreme weather conditions, they are often the first to face disasters. Beyond factors like age and geographic isolation, digital poverty also limits their ability to respond in time—making them one of the most vulnerable groups in the face of natural disasters.

Professor Lin Tsung-Hung analyzed data from the Taiwan Communication Survey Database (Wave 1, Round 5) and found the following:
1️⃣ Defining digital poverty and climate vulnerability:
Respondents who used the internet for less than 30 minutes per day or not at all were categorized as digitally poor, while those who had experienced typhoon or flood disasters were defined as climate-vulnerable groups.
Using bivariate probit regression, Lin found that digital poverty and disaster vulnerability influence each other — people who are more frequently affected by disasters tend to fall into digital poverty, and those experiencing digital poverty are also more likely to be affected by disasters.
2️⃣ How digital poverty affects access to disaster information:
Lin further examined how digitally poor groups obtain typhoon and flood information via television or the internet.
Based on the KHB mediation analysis, the variable “rarely or never going online” had a significant effect between those who had experienced disasters and those who relied on the internet for disaster information.
After including this variable, the regression coefficient for disaster experience increased by 41.4%.
This indicates that although disaster-vulnerable groups have strong motivation to seek information online, digital poverty significantly reduces their chances of obtaining such information through the internet.

In fact, previous studies have already shown that digital poverty reduces certain groups’ access to disaster information and their ability to respond. However, beyond simply “rarely going online,” what other forms can digital poverty take?

📰 Returning to the recent incident: According to interviews by The Reporter, local residents and village chiefs had issued evacuation notices early before the disaster struck. Knowing that many people “don’t know how to use smartphones at all,” they repeatedly broadcasted alerts and drove through neighborhoods to warn residents door-to-door. Yet, some victims still failed to evacuate in time.

During evacuation efforts, some residents even remarked, “Nothing’s happened yet,” indicating that even when aware of an approaching typhoon or flood, they found it hard to grasp the potential severity of the situation and could not accurately assess the risk.

Ultimately, prevention is better than cure. To build public awareness of disaster preparedness, the media plays a crucial role. However, the ability to use media—the most fundamental aspect—is also the one most often overlooked.

If you’re interested in this issue, you are invited to use data from the Taiwan Communication Survey Database to explore research topics such as digital poverty and risk communication with us.