Taiwan, an island with the advantage of geographic location and climate condition, serves as superior stops and habitats for a great number of migratory birds. The vast areas of wetlands, which are interwoven with estuaries, gulfs, deltas and beaches along the coast and swamps, ponds, paddy fields, canals, pools, basins and lakes across the island, are not only the home of abundant wildlife but also play a role of providing information on biodiversity of species in the world.
The natural wetlands were usually regarded as worthlessness in the past. Moreover, some random development constructions have caused permanent damage to the entire ecosystem in Taiwan. Thus, it is an urgent task to conserve and rehabilitate the wetlands, which is one of the most important schemes to retain biodiversity and also conform to the ecological guideline explicated in the Basic Environment Act （2002）- “Government entities at all levels shall actively protect wildlife, ensure biodiversity, protect forests, estuaries and wetland environments, and maintain a diverse natural environment, while also enhancing water resource conservation, water and soil conservation, and revegetation and greenification work” (Article 18).
The implementation of “Wetlands CRE” (conservation, restoration and education) requires the cooperation between the public and private sectors. It is admitted that “Wetlands CRE” shall be contributed by a set of precise policies, effective management, a long- term perspective and sufficient financial supports. There was a consensus reached at the conference of National Park and Open Space Conservation (2007), which comprised the following six principles:
1.In line with the principle of sustainable development explicated in the Basic Environment Act, conservation of natural succession and prevention of interference from human activities should be realized. In addition, policies relevant to conservation and utilisation of natural resource need to be re-examined.
2.Regularly assessing the significance of wetlands across the island in order to designate national conservation areas and develop ecological network and wetland pools.
3.Promoting the “Three National Territory Acts” (National Territory Planning Act, National Territory Restoration Act, and Coastline Act) and, at the same time, amending regulations regarding conservation issues, the statutory system of wetland protection can be established in progress.
4.Reviewing “National Sustainable Development Action Plan” (Executive Yuan) and revising relevant programs, “Wetland CRE” can be implemented in the long term.
5.Enhancing the collective cognition of wetland, encouraging community participation, the cooperation between the government, local academic groups and non-governmental organizations could strengthen the execution of wetlands restoration, management and ecological education.
6.Encouraging international communication on the issues relevant to wetland conservation and exchanging experiences with other countries, it can provide an opportunity to be actively involved in the global affairs.
Surrounding by the sustainable environment, the future generations could also benefit from the abundant resource provided by the wetlands around this beautiful island, Formosa.