By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung is expanding its daytime cooling options with new water-play facilities at parks across the city. Amid intensifying heat, however, many are calling on officials to extend operating months beyond the current April-to-September schedule.
According to city officials, two major projects — Starlight Waterfront Park (星光水岸公園) in Cianjhen District (前鎮區) and Xiangping Waterfront Park (享平親水公園) in Nanzih District (楠梓區) — are set to open their splash and interactive water zones this year. Facilities are designed to help mitigate heat injury risks during extreme temperatures, a growing concern in southern Taiwan.
The Public Works Bureau’s Parks Office noted that Kaohsiung currently operates water-play equipment at several parks, including Lantian Park (藍田公園), Xiangping Park (享平公園), Times Park (時代公園), Starlight Waterfront Park (星光水岸公園), and Wujia Park (五甲公園). A new family recreation zone planned for the Taiwan Railways workshop site (台鐵機廠親子遊樂園區) will also include a splash area. Officials said the April–September operating window may be adjusted depending on temperature trends, holidays, and festival periods.
The push for longer hours comes as heat risk indicators climb sharply. Statistics cited by city authorities show total heat-hazard hours across Taiwan’s six special municipalities rose from 1,148 hours in 2022 to 1,796 hours two years later. Kaohsiung also recorded the nation’s highest potential economic losses from heat exposure, while heat-related injury cases increased by 316 between 2020 and 2024, a 126 percent increase.
City Councilor Huang Wen-chih (黃文志) argued that average temperatures in recent years have exceeded 20 degrees Celsius from February through November, with peaks above 35 degrees Celsius, suggesting that water-play facilities should remain open at least through October. He also called for a long-term goal of “one splash park per district.”
The Parks Office responded that installation and maintenance costs for water features are high and require supporting infrastructure such as changing rooms and wash areas. Officials said the city will continue evaluating feasible locations for additional facilities while reviewing whether operating periods should be expanded in response to increasingly prolonged heat seasons.
Source: UDN
