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POSTER-2 WETLANDS CONSERVATION IN TAIWAN: PRESENT AND FUTURE Wen-Yan Chiau Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan, Republic of China TEUFAX: 886-7-525-5166 E-mail: chiauyw@ mail.nsysu.edu.tw Wetlands provide vital habitats for fish and wildlife while offering numerous other benefits. As in some other countries, however, Taiwan has witnessed the loss of a significant portion of its coastal wetlands due to large-scale reclamation projects along the coast. Most of the wetlands that still remain are seriously being threatened by human activities, such as drainage for agricultural production, filling for industrial development and the discharge of wastes. The administrative performance of the existing authorities and legislation in Taiwan has mostly been ineffective in protecting these precious, sensitive areas. This paper introduces the distribution and types of wetlands in Taiwan and highlights their invaluable functions and potential economic value. Recent actions both initiated by the government and the NGOs to protect wetlands in the country are discussed. On this basis, a wide-range of current issues are identified related to wetlands management and a number of short and long-term strategies are proposed to save them for the future. Establishing clear policies and effective institutional mechanisms on wetland protection and conservation, classifying the wetlands for better management, and fully promoting public awareness and consciousness of the importance of the wetlands will not only be beneficial but will also address the urgent need to safeguard the wetlands in Taiwan. Additionally, international co-operation and collaboration on wetiand restoration is essential and most challenging. In short, there is a need for a harmonised balance between nature conservation and economic development through a more "eco-centric" approach. |