Both Taiwan proper and the offshore islands have many natural beaches, and these beaches are frequently used by people looking to cool off and enjoy themselves. Some examples are the Nanwan (南灣), Baisha (白砂) and Chuanfan (船帆) beaches in Kenting in Pingtung County, the Aimen (隘門), Shanshui (山水) and Shili (?裡) beaches in Penghu County and the Waiao (外澳) and Neipi (內埤) beaches in Yilan County.
Despite this, the authorities have long lacked a complete set of ideas and the comprehensive framework required to be able to manage these beaches.
The result has been that the general view of these beaches is that they are places where you go for a swim and to have fun, and it has therefore been impossible to give these beaches more importance and more far-reaching functions.
There are three main aspects to beach management: biological, marine physics and social economy.
The biological aspect is about protecting and maintaining the area’s plant and animal ecology; marine physics focuses on beach topography — wave flow, sand accumulation and loss — and the social economic aspect deal with improving public accessibility to beaches and recreational quality and safety, as well as providing education about the marine environment.
Many other countries have begun implementing beach certification systems by setting benchmarks according to classification or certification of their beaches.
Beaches that have obtained the Blue Flag certification, for example — which has been in place in Europe for about 30 years — meet certain requirements that guarantee recreational safety and quality in the area.
Benchmarks can be set for water quality monitoring and maintenance, safety facilities and emergency response facilities, environmental education and management, and service facilities.
In addition, the provision of beach-related information is another important certification item.
Such information includes information about air temperature, water quality, wave height, the presence of lifeguards, potential dangers — such as the occurrence of rip currents or the appearance of jellyfish — activity zones and time slots in the water area, parking lots, showers and lifesaving equipment.
Beach certification or the implementation of beach certification benchmarks provide a safe and high quality space for water recreation.
Unfortunately these concepts have not yet made their way into beach management thinking in Taiwan.
This is one area in which the authorities in charge of managing water areas must make a bigger effort.
Sustainable development of beaches must be based on a complete beach management system, and it is only by implementing sustainable beach management that we will be able to create a “blue” economy based on recreational beach areas.
Chen Chung-ling is an associate professor in the Institute of Ocean Technology and Marine Affairs at National Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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