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Huge conference focuses on eco-technology in Taiwan

Ecological engineering methods adopted in Taiwan to not only restore sites damaged by natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes, but also ensure ecological sustainability, are very innovative, according to foreign experts attending an international conference sponsored by the Public Construction Commission (PCC) yesterday in Taipei.

The two-day 2004 International Conference on Eco-Technology is the largest-ever in this field held in Taiwan. Yesterday, the venue of the conference, organized by the National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT), was filled with more than 1,000 eco-technology foreign and local experts from governmental agencies, private research organizations and universities.

According to PCC Vice Chairman Kuo Ching-chiang (郭清江), selected foreign invitees have an excellent international reputation in eco-technology related fields, from whom Taiwan can glean up-to-date knowledge in order to further improve the quality of construction carried out locally under the concept of ecological sustainability.

William Mitsch, a professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science of the Ohio State University, earlier spent a few days making field trips to construction sites adopting ecological engineering methods in Taiwan.

"I found methods used here are quite innovative because they are created to suit the domestic biological and weather conditions," Mitsch told the Taipei Times.

Mitsch said one of Taiwan's advantages in the promotion of ecological engineering was the government's strong backing.

According to Kuo, concepts of ecological sustainability have been incorporated into post-disaster reconstruction projects since a devastating earthquake hit Taiwan on Sep. 21, 1999. In the wake of the earthquake, remote mountainous sites with loose geological structures were damaged by torrential rains during typhoon seasons.

In Kuo's representation, he screened before-and-after photos comparing disaster areas restored by the adoption of ecological engineering methods.

"These ecologically friendly constructions were carried out by victims in the community, who not only found new courage to move on but also rediscovered the importance of living in harmony with nature," Kuo said.

Taking reconstruction work on the Houfantzekeng River in Shuanghsi township, Taipei County as an example, Kuo said many senior citizens said the "new" river brings back pleasant memories from their childhood.

The site is just one of places local experts introduced to their counterparts from the US, Germany, Austria, Japan and the Netherlands, and others. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Walter Chen (陳偉堯), associate professor of the Department of Civil Engineering at NTUT, showed foreign experts several construction projects, including a 2.45km spillway tunnel construction in Rueifang, Taipei County, as well as Guandu Nature Park.

Hung Ju-jiang (洪如江), professor emeritus of civil engineering at National Taiwan University, told the Taipei Times that Taiwan had gained its own experience from the recent promotion of ecological engineering in reconstruction work.

International conferences were good platforms to share this knowledge, he said.
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