This chapter describes Taiwan's efforts in preserving the environment, conserving natural resources, and protecting the island's wildlife.

Environmental Protection Administration

The central government agency wholly devoted to protecting the environment is the Environmental Protection Administration under the Executive Yuan 行政院環境保護署. The EPA sets standards to measure pollution levels in Taiwan and drafts laws to encourage environmentally friendly behavior. As of December 2005, the EPA had 553 full-time employees, 243 environmental investigators charged with collecting evidence in pollution cases, and 78 lab technicians responsible for analyzing test samples of pollutants brought back to the EPA's Environmental Analysis Laboratory 環境檢驗所.

Air Quality

The Air Pollution Control Act 空氣污染防制法 empowers the government at various levels to establish air quality standards for different areas throughout Taiwan and monitoring stations at appropriate sites. Air quality is currently monitored by the Taiwan Area Air Quality Monitoring Network 臺灣地區空氣品質監測網. This network comprises 74 stationary automatic air quality monitoring stations, 2 mobile monitoring stations, and 1 air quality assurance laboratory. Next-day air quality forecasts are issued daily for eight areas of Taiwan based on the data collected from this network.

In order to monitor ozone precursors in the metropolitan area, eight photochemical assessment monitoring stations are deployed in northern, central, and southern Taiwan to form three monitoring networks. These stations not only gather valuable monitoring data but also contribute to areas such as atmospheric science and human health risk assessment research.

Air quality improvement measures include stringent emission standards for industrial plants and motor vehicles (of which Taiwan had 6.7 million cars and 13 million motorcycles in 2005), the promotion of low-pollution transportation vehicles, strict standards on the composition of petroleum products, and increased inspections of construction sites.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) levies an air pollution control (APC) fee on both stationary sources, such as factories and construction sites, and mobile sources, such as motor vehicles. This APC fee is levied on such pollutants as suspended particulates, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and hydrocarbons. The APC funds are allocated to a variety of air pollution control programs, including inspection, enforcement, air quality measurement, promotion of clean energy resources, subsidies and incentives for the reduction of pollutants, and international environmental efforts related to air pollution.

Since its implementation in 1995, the APC fee-levying system has led to marked improvements in Taiwan's air quality, with the average sulfur dioxide concentration decreasing by almost 50 percent, from 8.1 ppb in 1994 to 4.1 ppb in 2004. Taiwan's pollution standard index (PSI) exceeded 100 on only 4.6 percent of days in 2004, compared to 6.99 percent in 1994. In the heavily industrial Kaohsiung 高雄 and Pingtung 屏東 areas, the PSI exceeded 100 on 8.4 percent of days in 2004, compared to 18.4 percent in 1994. The EPA expects to lower the average figure for all of Taiwan to 2 percent by 2006 and 1.5 percent by 2011.

Noise Control

Taiwan's dense urban environment and common mixture of residential and commercial properties make noise a common subject of public nuisance complaints. The Noise Control Act 噪音管制法 authorizes local governments to maintain the tranquility of the living environment by designating noise control areas, where certain activities are prohibited at certain times. Such activities include setting off firecrackers, various traditional events (such as funerals, weddings, and temple celebrations), and catering, laundry, dyeing, and printing operations. Other places of work and facilities also required to meet the noise control criteria include construction sites and entertainment businesses.

Measures have also been taken against noise pollution by motor vehicles and civil aircraft. New motor vehicles, whether manufactured locally or imported, are required to pass noise inspection tests before they can be marketed in Taiwan. These tests are also applicable to those already in use. Twenty-four-hour automatic monitoring equipment is installed at civil airports to gather noise data for local governments' reference when designating airport noise control areas and issuing compensation to neighboring communities. Since 2003, airports of military use are also required to consult with local governments and formulate plans for reducing aviation noise pollution and adopt appropriate preventive measures.

Water Resources

Taiwan has 118 rivers and streams under government supervision, of which 24 are under the central government and 94 under local government. Just 24 rivers provide 85 percent of the water used by Taiwan's citizens. To ensure water quality, 314 river and stream water quality sampling stations had been established throughout Taiwan as of 2005, including 38 in Taipei's Danshuei 淡水 river basin alone.

The main pollutants of Taiwan's rivers are domestic sewage, industrial effluent, and wastewater from livestock farms. Urban communities are major contributors, primarily because they lack comprehensive sewage systems. Average sewer connection ratio in Taiwan is 13.07 percent, although the percentage is much higher in the two special municipalities, Taipei (80 percent) and Kaohsiung (37 percent). Accelerating the construction of public sewers has thus been prioritized in urban development plans.

Businesses are required to meet a set of effluent discharge standards, while regular inspections are carried out on the sludge they generate, as well as that produced by various sewage systems and sewage treatment facilities. The 2002 revision of the Water Pollution Control Act 水污染防治法 provided the legal foundation for the EPA to collect fees from businesses, sewage systems, and households for the prevention of wastewater pollution. Businesses and industrial sewage systems will be levied in the first stage.

In 2000, the EPA cooperated with other government agencies to improve the water quality of five major catchment areas, which feed 11 reservoirs providing water to more than 12 million of Taiwan's people. Since the two main pollutants in these areas were domestic sewage and wastewater from pig farms, the EPA constructed 12 sewage systems and demolished nearby pig farms. As of December 2001, 99.2 percent of the pig farms were dismantled and the farmers compensated. This has led to great improvements in water quality. The best results were seen in the Gaoping River 高屏溪, in Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, where ammonium nitrate levels decreased by between one-third and one-half during the dry season of 2001.

The EPA has advisory groups for northern, central, and southern Taiwan, which conduct quarterly inspections of the island's 57 reservoirs to provide reference data for pollution control. Their efforts have reduced the number of reservoirs designated as requiring improvement from 15 in 1997 to 6 in 2005. The Taipei Feitsui Reservoir 翡翠水庫 was found to have the best water quality in 2005.

Tap water quality in the greater Kaohsiung area, a frequent target of local residents' complaints, has also improved significantly after a new water supply system was completed in November 2003. This project integrated new water sourcing facilities with three advanced water purification plants.

Taiwan's coastal waters are considered to be of excellent quality, although there are signs of organic pollution from the local animal husbandry industry in the south, and greater concentrations of coliform bacteria due to the higher population density in the north. The Marine Pollution Control Act (MPCA) 海洋污染防治法 was enacted in November 2000 to control marine pollution and protect marine ecology. Since 2002, the EPA has operated 97 ocean water quality-sampling stations in accordance with the MPCA to monitor ocean water quality in Taiwan's coastal areas. The EPA has also established a national contingency plan for severe marine pollution incidents. In 2005, the EPA held 12 oil-spill drills around Taiwan's coastline and offshore islands to enhance the capability of pollution prevention.

Recycling

Kitchen and organic waste can now be transformed into compost and fertilizer at recycling plants.

The EPA calculates that about 40 percent of Taiwan's garbage is recyclable. Much effort has thus been devoted to formulating regulations and programs for waste reduction and resource recycling. The Four-in-One Resource Recycling Program 資源回收四合一計畫, implemented in April 1997, combines the efforts of communities, recyclers, and local garbage collecting teams, with the incentives of a resource recycling fund 資源回收基金. Separation of recyclable materials is mandatory, with pick-ups by about 2,000 collection trucks made at least twice a week throughout Taiwan. These trucks collect more than 30 types of waste materials, including paper, containers, lead acid batteries, fluorescent tubes, used clothes, and small electrical and electronic appliances. Large home appliances and furniture are collected by appointment. These efforts pushed recyclable trash collection to 1.8 million tons in 2005, representing 23 percent of all solid waste collected.

In Taipei, a "fee per package" policy has been implemented by the city government since July 2000. Residents are required to purchase trash bags designated for disposal of their garbage. Recycling trucks visit Taipei neighborhoods three times each week to collect recyclable waste materials. This policy has reduced Taipei's daily trash production by one-third and increased its recyclable trash collection threefold.

A new national policy of waste separation was implemented sequentially, starting in ten counties and cities in 2005 before being applied nationwide in 2006. The policy mandated all household waste to be properly separated into three categories: recyclable, organic, and general waste. In the initial ten counties and cities, average daily waste volume decreased by about 900 tons by the end of 2005, almost the equivalent of the daily capacity of an incinerator. Resource recycling and organic waste recycling volumes showed significant increases of about 30 percent and 65 percent.

Private sector initiatives also play an important role in recycling. Environmental groups such as the Homemakers' Union and Foundation 主婦聯盟環境保護基金會 provide citizens information on how to do recycling at home, at the workplace, and in the community. Many schools, after successfully implementing waste separation and resource recycling, now promote the composting of organic waste as soil fertilizers.

Industrial Waste Management

Industrial waste is produced primarily by factories, farming activities, hospitals, and other business organizations. According to the Industrial Waste Control Center 事業廢棄物管制中心, industrial waste generated and reported by factories and hospitals in Taiwan in 2004 totaled 14.23 million tons and consisted of 1.21 million tons of hazardous waste and 13.03 million tons of non-hazardous waste. As of December 2004, over 12,500 businesses were registered with the control center.

The EPA cooperates with other responsible agencies, such as the Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs 經濟部工業局, to raise the percentage of industrial waste receiving proper treatment. Under the Waste Disposal Act 廢棄物清理法, manufacturers must assume responsibility for their waste or face fines from NT$60,000 (US$1,795) up to NT$300,000 (US$8,977). Those who dump hazardous waste that results in the loss of life could be sentenced to life in prison.

To prevent illegal or improper waste dumping, the EPA has initiated a program to track disposal vehicles via the Global Positioning System (GPS). A total of 1,300 vehicles used by businesses to dispose of hazardous industrial waste had installed GPS by the end of 2005.

Toxic Chemical Substance Control

Nearly 20,000 chemical substances are regularly used in Taiwan, of which approximately 6,000 are highly toxic. Pursuant to the Toxic Chemical Substance Act 毒性化學物質管理法, the EPA has adopted a toxic chemical classification and quantity-based management system, and released a list of 255 toxic chemicals for which permission for production, import, export, sale, or use must first be obtained. Companies handling toxic chemicals are required to keep records of the amounts of such substances handled and discharged. Responsible agencies may also order companies to periodically submit such records. Companies that do not submit records by deadlines are subject to heavy fines.

Soil and Water Conservation

Due to Taiwan's mountainous terrain, rapid rivers, and torrential rains caused by the annual monsoon season and typhoons, floods carrying sediment and rock can sometimes erode land surface and cause collapses or mudslides, bringing losses of life and property in hillside areas. This has been aggravated over recent decades by excessive land development.

The Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (SWCB) 水土保持局 under the Council of Agriculture (COA) 行政院農業委員會 has employed a mudslide monitoring system to issue warnings to residents in nearby areas when a mudslide threat arises. The SWCB also conducts assessments of potential debris flow torrents, delineates special soil and water conservation areas, and promotes the use of ecological engineering methods. To ensure the sustainable development of national land, the government is pushing for passage of a National Land Planning Act 國土計畫法, which will reorganize the national land-use planning system. To facilitate reforestation, the National Land Restoration Act 國土復育條例, which is pending the Legislature's approval, will limit development in ecologically fragile high-altitude areas.

Animal Protection

The Animal Protection Act 動物保護法 was promulgated in 1998. To uphold this law, the COA launched an animal protection program in January 2000 and enacted a set of regulations covering pet registration, pet stores, and animal welfare. The COA established a website to facilitate pet registration online and to provide a lost-and-found service for pet owners. A 2005 survey showed that 618,000 pet dogs were registered in Taiwan. Campaigns promoting pet sterilization were also conducted. As of 2005, about 1,000 licenses were issued to pet stores engaged in commercial pet breeding, trading, and sheltering. The consumption of canine meat in Taiwan is prohibited. According to the December 2003 revision of the Animal Protection Act, the slaughter and sale of dogs as well as other pets as food are prohibited. Violators face fines of between NT$50,000 (US$1,496) and NT$250,000 (US$7,481). Every county in Taiwan operates a modern animal shelter in accordance with COA standard procedures. Approximately 600 animal inspectors have been appointed by the government and 1,000 volunteers trained to investigate animal welfare cases. September has been designated Animal Protection Month.

Nature Conservation

The government of Taiwan has actively promoted nature conservation since the 1980s. In 1981, it enacted the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act 文化資產保存法, which mandates the creation of a system of nature reserves and protection of rare and valuable plants. In 1989, the Wildlife Conservation Act 野生動物保育法 was enacted, classifying rare fauna in Taiwan (which totaled 1,955 species as of the end of 2006) into three levels of protection—"requiring conservation measures" 應予保育, "rare and valuable" 珍貴稀有, and the highest level "endangered" 瀕臨絕種—and prescribing penalties for violations of the law.

The Council of Agriculture conducts long-term surveys on local plant ecology such as mangrove distribution, as well as research on indigenous or migrant species, such as the Formosan landlocked salmon 櫻花鉤吻鮭, Formosan serow 臺灣長鬃山羊, Formosan macaque 臺灣獼猴, green turtle 綠蠵龜, and black-faced spoonbill 黑面琵鷺. In 1993, a Wildlife Protection Unit 野生動物保護小組 was established under the COA to investigate violations of related laws.

The COA continues to coordinate the implementation of the Wildlife Conservation Act at the local government level. In 2004, a forest and nature conservation police team 森林暨自然保育警察隊 of 176 officers in 8 squads was established to further aid in enforcement.

Biodiversity Conservation

Despite its small area, Taiwan is home to approximately 150,000 different forms of life, representing about 1.5 percent of all life species found on earth. Around 30 percent of these are endemic species. In August 2001, the Executive Yuan formulated an action plan to pursue "the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources" as established under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This plan calls for the promotion of biosafety, management of alien species, restoration of degraded ecosystems, research on biological diversity and related changes, establishment of protected areas, and preservation of traditional knowledge through the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities. Increased public awareness and international cooperation are also paramount to the sustainable conservation of biological diversity in Taiwan.

Habitat Protection

Taiwan's mountainous terrain spanning three major climatic zones and its diverse topography have endowed the island with a wide range of flora and fauna. Taiwan is home to approximately 70 species of mammals, around 500 species of birds (40 percent of which reside on Taiwan year-round), over 90 species of reptiles, over 30 species of amphibians, nearly 3,000 species of fish, and 18,000 identified species of insects (including 400 butterfly species). In terms of its flora, Taiwan has 610 species of ferns, 28 species of gymnosperms, and 3,600 species of angiosperms.

To protect these diverse ecosystems, the government has set aside 19.11 percent of Taiwan's land area as part of a multitiered system of protected areas that comprises 6 national parks 國家公園, 19 nature reserves 自然保留區, 6 forest reserves 自然保護區, 17 wildlife refuges 野生動物保護區, and 31 major wildlife habitats 野生動物重要棲息環境.

National Parks

Taiwan has a comprehensive national park system that balances conservation, recreation, and research. The system was inaugurated in 1984 with the establishment of Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園 at the southern tip of the island. In 1985 and 1986, Taiwan moved swiftly to set up Yushan (Jade Mountain) National Park 玉山國家公園, Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園, and Taroko National Park 太魯閣國家公園 in central, northern, and eastern Taiwan, respectively. In 1992, Shei-pa National Park 雪霸國家公園 was established in north-central Taiwan, and in October 1995, a sixth national park—Kinmen National Park 金門國家公園, occupying 25.5 percent of the Kinmen Islands—was opened to the public. (See also Chapter 20: Tourism.)

Taiwan's Major Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation Groups
Environmental Quality Protection Foundation 環境品質文教基金會	Society for Wildlife and Nature, ROC 中華民國自然生態保育協會
Homemakers' Union and Foundation 主婦聯盟環境保護基金會	The Society of Wilderness, Taiwan 荒野保護協會
Environmental Greenery Association of the ROC 中華民國環境綠化協會	TRAFFIC-East Asia-Taipei (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) 臺北野生物貿易研究委員會
New Environment Foundation 新環境基金會
Taiwan Nature Trail Society 中華民國自然步道協會	Wild Bird Federation Taiwan 中華民國野鳥學會
Taiwan Environmental Protection Union 臺灣環境保護聯盟	Wetlands Taiwan 臺灣濕地保護聯盟
Life Conservationist Association 關懷生命協會	National Park Association in Taiwan 中華民國國家公園學會
The Animal Protection Association of the ROC 中華民國保護動物協會	The Zoological Society of Taipei 臺北市動物園之友協會

Cultivating a Conservation Ethic

Many government agencies and private conservation groups are carrying out a massive educational campaign aimed at cultivating a conservation ethic in Taiwan. At the forefront of conservation education is the COA, which sponsors research projects, hosts international symposia, and subsidizes publicity campaigns. The COA also commissions other government agencies to provide conservation-related publications.

Taiwan has an established record of cooperation with international conservation organizations. The COA donated US$274,750 to support various international conservation activities and projects in 2004, and Taiwan's international wildlife conservation efforts continue to expand.

Related Websites
National Council for Sustainable   Development：	http://ivy2.epa.gov.tw/NSDN
Environmental Protection Administration：	http://www.epa.gov.tw
Council of Agriculture：	http://www.coa.gov.tw
Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, COA：	http://www.swcb.gov.tw
Forestry Bureau, COA：	http://www.forest.gov.tw
COA's Nature Conservation Site：	http://conservation.forest.gov.tw
Animal Protection Information System：	http://animal.coa.gov.tw
Taiwan National Parks：	http://np.cpami.gov.tw

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