The Taiwan Declaration on Wetland Conservation

Taiwan, an island with an advantageous geographic location and climatic conditions, provides crucial stopping points and habitats for great numbers of migratory birds. The vast areas of wetlands, of estuaries, gulfs, deltas, and beaches interwoven along the coast, as well as swamps, ponds, paddy fields, canals, pools, basins, and lakes across the island, are not only home to abundant wildlife but also play can provide information on biodiversity of species in the world. These are the most critical components of an open system.

Natural wetlands were often regarded as worthless in the past. Moreover, rapid development and construction caused irreparable damage to entire ecosystems in Taiwan. Thus, conserving and rehabilitating wetlands are urgent tasks, which are the most important schemes for retaining biodiversity and conforming to the ecological guidelines put forth in the Basic Environment Act 2002.

Implementation of "Wetland CRE" (conservation, restoration, and education) requires cooperation between the public and private sectors. "Wetland CRE" will require contributions of a set of precise policies, effective management, a long-term perspective, and sufficient financial support. A consensus was reached at the conference of National Park and Open Space Conservation (2007), which comprised the following six principles:

1. In line with the principles of sustainable development set forth in the Basic Environment Act, conservation of natural succession and prevention of interference from human activities should be realized. In addition, a collective understanding should be shared in the stages of economic development, and policies relevant to conservation and utilization of natural resource need to be reexamined.
2. A mechanism of a "wetlands bank" should be established which adopts the methods of ecologic compensation and database manipulation, to ensure no losses of ecological sources.
3. The significance of wetlands across the island should regularly be assessed in order to designate national conservation areas and develop ecological networks and wetland reserves.
4. The Three National Territory Acts (National Territory Planning Act, National Territory Restoration Act, and Coastline Act) should be promoted, at the same time, regulations regarding conservation issues should be amended, and a statutory system of wetland protection can progressively be established.
5. The "National Sustainable Development Action Plan" (by the Executive Yuan) should be reviewed and relevant programs revised; "Wetland CRE" can be implemented in the long term.
6. Community participation in "Wetland CRE" should be encouraged, and cooperation between local academic groups and non-governmental organizations should be enhanced in order to promote wetland restoration, management, evaluation, and ecological education. Volunteers should be organized to help raise environmental awareness and foster respect for the environment.
7. International communication should be encouraged on issues relevant to wetland conservation, and our experiences should be exchanged with other countries. This can provide opportunities to be actively involved in global affairs.

Surrounded by a sustainable environment, future generations can also benefit from the abundant resources provided by the wetlands around this beautiful island, Formosa

National Parks and Green Network Conference on Dec. 20, 2007