Ecological engineering methods have been successfully used in building artificial wetlands in urban sites and coastal areas in Taiwan, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday -- but there's more work to be done.
Beginning today, the PCC will hold a series of artificial wetlands expositions to instill in the public a sense of duty to preserve the balance of ecosystems for future generations.
PHOTO: PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION
By adopting ecological engineering methods, government engineers turned spacious abandoned lots into artificial wetlands at four places in Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County, Miaoli County and Taipei County.
According to PCC Vice Chairman Kuo Ching-chiang (
To ensure the sustainability of lands, the government will encourage the adoption of ecologically-friendly engineering methods and the establishment of well-designed management to reactivate dying wetlands.
"Wetlands can purify water, control floods, trap sediments, regulate the microclimate, and sustain biodiversity," Kuo said.
Other functions of wetlands include maintaining groundwater levels, stabilizing the shoreline and recycling nutrients for animal and plant life, Kuo said.
Today, an exposition will be held at the Zou-Zai Wetland Park near Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung City. According to Chiau Wen-yan (
"It was the place where the Pheasant-tailed jacana [a type of bird], now endangered, was firstly sighted by British scientists in 1865. The site was actually a large marsh," Chiau told the Taipei Times.
Chiau said that there are about 50 such jacanas well-preserved at a wetland in Kuantien, Tainan County. However, some bird-watchers said they had seen some jacanas hovering over the Zou-Zai Wetland Park.
The management of the wetland park was a result of discussions between interested parties, including residents.
Setting up a trustworthy relationship between the Kaohsiung City Government and the organization engaging in wetlands preservation was crucial to the park's development. The local government is responsible for infrastructure while the wetlands organization and volunteers generated ideas for running the park.
Wetlands Taiwan's project, known as the "Return of the Jacana," also won first prize in last year's Ford Conservation and Environmental Grant competition.
"Our purpose is to not only re-establish an essential habitat for the endangered Pheasant-tailed Jacana and other creatures, but also to create a unique style of wetland system within an urban environment," Chiau said.
Chiau, also an associate professor of marine environment and engineering at National Sun Yat-sen University, said there have been 95 kinds of birds sighted since primary construction was completed on the wetlands park in April last year. Chiau said that the future development of the park will include linking it up with nearby wetlands in order to form an extensive network.
"Once the network is established, it is certain that the flora and fauna ecosystems in the Kaohsiung area will be more diverse, hardy and dynamic," Chiau said.
On Sunday, ecological engineering experts from Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore will share their experience in managing wetlands with their counterparts in Taiwan at an international conference held in Kaohsiung.
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