Environmental Impact Assessment: Whither Taiwan’s wetlands?
Wetlands need to be protected because they filter contaminants from wastewater, soak up excess water, which helps mitigate flooding, and reduces the temperature of the immediate surroundings
By Steven Crook / Contributing reporter
Next Tuesday, Feb. 2, will be World Wetlands Day (WWD). An annual event since 1971, WWD celebrates the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat in Ramsar, Iran in 1971, and tries to raise awareness about the ecological importance of wetlands.
Between 1.2 and 1.6 percent of Taiwan’s total land area is wetland of some kind. The majority of wetlands, including all the larger ones, are on the west coast. Perhaps the best known inland bog is Fataan Wetland (馬太鞍濕地) in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復). Taiwan is dominated by mountains, but very few wetlands are more than 100m above sea level.