Taiwan 2002

		Environmental Protection
		Coral reefs are one of the most important global ecosystems and a precious ecological heritage. (Photo by Jeng Ming-shiou) Air Quality Noise Pollution Water Resources Land Subsidence Solid Waste Disposal Recycling Industrial Waste Management Wildlife Conservation Legal Framework Enforcement of Wildlife Conservation Laws Wildlife Products in Traditional Chinese Medicine Habitat Protection National Parks Nature Reserves and Wildlife Refuges Forest Reserves and the Taiwan Forestry Bureau Cultivating a Conservation Ethic Stray Dog Control Pet Registration Charts, tables, and boxes: Environmental Protection Administration Percentage of Measurement Days by Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) Level in the Taiwan Area Government Entities with Missions in Environmental Protection or Resource Conservation Legislative Developments Condition of Taiwan's Central and Prefectural Rivers Environmental Nuisance Complaints 2000 Recycling Amount (Tons) 2000 Wildlife Conservation Law Enforcement Council of Agriculture Private Environmental Protection Groups in Taiwan Nature Reserves Corridor of Conservation Areas in the Central Range Related Websites
		Following four decades of rapid industrial development, a growing public and government awareness of the severe extent and ultimate cost of pollution is propelling the environmental protection movement in the Republic of China. A number of factors have shifted the focus of policymaking: First, the predominant concern in the 1960s and 1970s of stimulating economic growth has given way over the last decade or so to a more balanced consideration of the needs for additional growth versus the short- and long-term environmental costs. Second, as Taiwan approaches developed-nation status, people are starting to demand a quality of life commensurate with their level of economic achievement. Finally, the World Trade Organization (WTO) set up a Trade and Environment Committee to mediate disputes and solve problems between trade and environmental protection, which shows that environmental problems have already won global attention. As a member of the international community, Taiwan must keep in step with the pulse of the global environmental movement by actively participating in global environmental events and respecting international environmental conventions and regulations. In all respects, the key to continued improvement is strict enforcement of already existing laws, coupled with a sustained campaign to inculcate a positive environmental protection and wildlife conservation ethic among the public. This chapter recounts the vicissitudes of environmental protection and wildlife conservation in Taiwan and describes the mandates, as well as legal and financial resources, at the disposal of the various government agencies that work to preserve the environment, conserve Taiwan's natural resources, and protect the island's wildlife. Government Entities with Missions in Environmental Protection or Resource Conservation Copyright (C) July 2002, Government Information Office.   All rights reserved.   Site design by L.F. Lee Best viewed with Netscape 4.x or IE 5.x (medium font) at 800 x 600 True Color (32 bit) resolution