Large development projects can disturb and damage the environment, and plant and animal habitats, forcing nature to strike back. For a long time, Taiwan has prioritized economic growth, while ecological and environmental issues were often seen as obstacles to development, thus betraying the nation’s rich geographic features and abandoning the international competitive advantage that the natural environment has bestowed.
There have been several reports in the past few months about leopard cats — an endangered species in Taiwan — being killed on roads in hill areas of Miaoli County, as well as reports about the destruction of their habitat to make way for a park. Such incidents should be a warning sign and a reminder to the Miaoli County Government to adopt correct ideals and take action when thinking about sustainable environmental management.
As the nation’s only feral feline species, the ecological importance of the leopard cat is self-evident. Its habitat is mostly in hill areas in central and western Taiwan. These areas have long overlapped — and been in balance — with human settlements and the agricultural environment.
Nevertheless, when construction projects drastically change and fragment the landscape, hydrology and vegetation, it becomes difficult to take an engineering approach to overcoming the significant effects of habitat fragmentation.
In the process of changing the landscape, the landscaping profession attaches importance not only to the environmental representations, but also to a deeper meaning created by natural succession and artificial interference.
When I helped implement the Miaoli County landscape master plan a few years ago, I was moved by the county’s unique scenery and human touch, as local residents were deeply aware that ecology is important.
In 2000, the county imposed a ban on fishing in Penglai Creek (蓬萊溪) as part of a push for fish conservation. This set off a review of river environmental engineering and utilization throughout the nation, and it highlights that people are willing to protect their homeland. This must not be overlooked.
Leopard cats should be made “ambassadors” of hill areas in Miaoli. Effective implementation of a conservation effort would show that the local government is proactive and capable and that residents are ecologically aware. Such a policy could become the county’s greatest platform, giving Miaoli a chance to speak up for Taiwan in international media outlets.
It is pleasing to hear that the county government is planning to propose a draft self-governance act for leopard cat conservation. Residents and elected representatives should give the proposal their full support, because it could help protect the county’s unique environment and it would display its international competitiveness in sustainable development.
Lilian Wang is a professor at Fu Jen Catholic University’s Department of Landscape Architecture.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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