Beyond the clichés, a splendid natural environment to preserve
It would be wrong to think of Taiwan simply as Taipei, the capital with its high towers and incredible dynamism. In fact, you only have to get up high from the city to see the relief in the distance and become aware of the beauty of the surrounding nature. When you fly over the island, you even get the feeling that it's very wild. Not surprising, given that vegetation covers 70% of the island. Mountains divide the island in two, from north to south, and several peaks reach altitudes of over 3,000 metres, as in Yushan National Park, where hiking enthusiasts will find fascinating terrain for their expeditions. This is the island's largest national park. To vary the pleasures of the high mountains, it's also possible to venture into Sheipa National Park, which boasts a wide range of ecosystems and is home to the sources of the island-nation's main rivers. Another national park with other natural features is Yangminshan, located between the cities of New Taipei and Taipei. Waterfalls, ridges, lakes and lush green valleys make this a great place for walks, which also lead to hot springs, as the area is also volcanic. The area is also home to a wide variety of birds and butterflies. A change of scenery for the marine world. In 2007, Dongsha National Park was created to protect this exceptional atoll, its seagrass beds and adjacent waters. It's a rich habitat for marine life, including rays, green sea turtles, jellyfish, squid and a huge variety of fish. It's worth noting that all these islands are not yet open to tourism, in line with our desire to protect a varied and fragile ecosystem. We now move on to Taroko National Park, named after the eponymous gorges carved out by the Liwu River. What makes this park so special is the abundance of marble found in the region. This is why it is called the "Marble Gorge". Taiwan has a total of nine national parks, home to a wide variety of natural wonders. The first was founded in 1985 and the last in 2014, so very recently. This reveals the authorities' determination to ensure that natural areas are recognized as exceptional places, and that perpetual action is taken to preserve them.
Ecological problems well and truly present
Taiwan has undergone a major economic transformation, rising from poverty to prosperity in just a few decades. This "Taiwanese miracle" is often held up as an example for developing countries around the world. But this international recognition as a model of economic progress has not come without damage to nature, and has contributed to the rise of major environmental problems. Rapid industrialization, urbanization, road networks and increased household consumption are at the root of various types of pollution. Air pollution from factories and the massive use of cars and trucks, as well as river, groundwater and coastal water pollution, poor sewage disposal and waste treatment have accompanied Taiwan's purely economic exploits. Rapid economic development is also endangering biodiversity. Ecosystems are being destabilized, leading to the imbalance and even extinction of certain species. Urban centers are not the only ones to suffer from environmental problems, since industrialization, encouraged by the government from the 1960s to the 1980s, also took place in rural areas, extending the problems to the western and northern countryside. Companies that were not concerned about meeting environmental standards.
However, it must be stressed that the main culprits behind Taiwan's worrying pollution situation are large-scale industries, particularly the petrochemical complexes that have sprung up in large numbers on the island. Global warming, which is affecting the entire planet, is also bound to have serious consequences, particularly as Taiwan benefits from its island location. Rising temperatures and rising sea levels are therefore something to watch out for.
The public and the authorities react
Although the government has long turned a blind eye to environmental problems, successive decisions taken since the late 1970s are evidence of an ecological upsurge in Taiwan. The first was the Environmental Protection Act, passed in April 1979. The abolition of martial law in 1987 and the start of political liberalization gave rise to major protest movements, closely followed by the population, who became aware of the impact of environmental problems on their daily lives. In August 1987, an Environmental Protection Administration was created. Within the government, it is tasked with repairing the serious ecological mistakes of the past, and setting up prospects for the future. Since environmental protection also involves the management of economic development, a national council was set up in 1997 to monitor sustainable development. This principle is enshrined in the Framework Law for the Environment promulgated in 2003, which stipulates that the means of satisfying contemporary needs must not be at the expense of natural resources, which cannot endure any kind of treatment if future generations are to be able to satisfy their own needs. In 2002, to deal with the problem of waste treatment, particularly due to the excessive use of plastic bags by the population, the government simply banned their distribution. Of course, they haven't disappeared from street markets today, but the authorities' reaction bears witness to their determination to take this scourge very seriously. In fact, Taiwan's ecological stance has changed radically in just a few decades. From a time when all that mattered was to exploit natural resources to the maximum in order to develop the economy, the authorities, like the population, now have a positive attitude and a growing concern for safeguarding nature and protecting the environment. Many NGOs are active in Taiwan, reflecting the population's growing interest in ecological issues. These include the Wild Bird Federation Taiwan (https://www.birdlife.org/asia) and the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (http://tepu.yam.org.tw/).
Agora Garden, an example of a green urban project
While it's hard to imagine the Asia of the future without the expansion of large metropolises and their ever-increasing number of skyscrapers, the development of these cities can go hand in hand with ecological projects. A fine example, and one of the most successful projects, is that of architect Vincent Callebaut's Agora Garden, in the Xinyi district of Taipei. In an area exposed to overcrowding and pollution, this architectural project is a remarkable alternative that should serve as inspiration for the future. This double-helix building, with its 45,000 m² of residential space, is unique in that over 23,000 trees and plants have been planted on the terraced gardens. This vegetation is said to have the capacity to store up to 135 tonnes of CO2, with the positive effect of depolluting the city. Added to this is a significant source of natural lighting, rainwater recycling and solar panels to reduce energy consumption. The building has also been designed to withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, problems to which Taiwan is exposed, and which are known to be set to accelerate with climate disruption.
