On March 26, 2025, the Environmental Management Administration (EMA) of the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) held the "International Forum on Soil and Groundwater Challenges and Sustainable Governance Strategies in the ASEAN Region" at the GIS National Taipei University of Technology Convention Center. The forum gathered official representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, scholars from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, as well as representatives from Taiwanese environmental agencies, academia, and industry involved in soil and groundwater, and international and domestic graduate students studying in Taiwan. Together, they explored the challenges and cooperation strategies for soil and groundwater environmental governance between Taiwan and ASEAN countries, and held an awards ceremony for the "Soil and Groundwater Investigation and Remediation Research Competition," recognizing five teams' outstanding achievements.

In his opening remarks, EMA Deputy Director-General Liu Jui-siang said Taiwan began promoting water pollution prevention, air pollution control, and waste management as early as the 1970s, and in 2000, enacted and implemented the "Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act," gradually improving the related administrative regulations. Through the collection of remediation fees, Taiwan has effectively advanced pollution prevention and remediation efforts. Director-General Yen Hsu-ming said that over the past 20 years, Taiwan has accumulated extensive experience in pollution investigation and remediation technology. By regularly organizing international workshops, technical training sessions, and advisory committees, Taiwan has continuously aligned with international standards and exchanged experiences to enhance technical capabilities, laying a solid foundation for developing bilateral or multilateral collaborations centered on Taiwan. This forum, through in-depth exchanges with ASEAN countries, has fostered partnerships among industry, government, and academia, further improving technical skills, enhancing environmental quality, and advancing regional sustainable development goals.

The forum focused on the challenges faced by Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia in soil and groundwater environmental protection, promoting understanding among ASEAN partner countries, gathering insights from industry, government, and academia, deepening international cooperation, and expanding Taiwan's influence in the ASEAN region. A special roundtable forum for the research competition was held, providing a platform for participants of the "Soil and Groundwater Investigation and Remediation Research Competition" to showcase innovative results. 29 teams participated in the competition; ten were selected for the second round and presented their research at the forum. Expert-student interactions deepened the understanding of environmental governance and explored innovative strategies and applications for pollution remediation. In the end, five teams were selected, with total prizes of NT$120,000 awarded. The competition mechanism promoted integration of academia and practice, sparked innovation and sustainable thinking, and advanced sustainable development of soil and groundwater environments in ASEAN countries.

The EMA emphasized that the sustainability of soil and groundwater resources is a global environmental issue. It is hoped that through the exchange platform provided by this forum, cooperative partnerships in soil and groundwater environmental protection with ASEAN countries can be deepened, working together to improve the environment and quality of life.