To reveal or not to reveal? The impact of mapping environmental conditions on property rights in Taiwan

Between 2000 and 2012, natural disasters, including weather, health and seismic events, caused US$1.7 trillion in both direct and indirect damages globally. Under the ever-increasing threat of global climate change there is growing concern as to how much risk the property market can endure from extreme weather events, especially in Pacific Rim countries. In Taiwan, the right to obtain information about the potential hazard risks of a certain property has gained more awareness from both property owners and stakeholders. According to the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act in 2000, information on disaster potential, hazard degree, situation simulation and risk analysis with regard to nine types of natural hazard are required to be released to the public. However, there are disputes between different government departments about how detailed the information should be and how to deal with the potential consequences caused by its release. This chapter aims to approach this issue from two directions. First, a review of the possible impacts of disaster information release under the current planning and disaster prevention legal system and related issues. Second, a case study is conducted to evaluate the potential stigma effect resulting from the disaster information release from two aspects: real estate market analysis and questionnaires for residents and property owners. Finally, this chapter proposes suggestions for future regulation of disaster information release.