Wetland Wise-Use and Water Management

Taiwan is part of the East-Asian Australian Fly way, and provides critical wetland habitat to migratory birds. With landuse and development pressures growing around the world, wetlands face an ongoing threat of development. Abandoned salt pans in Taiwan provide a range of ecosystem services that have cultural, environmental and monetary value. The Water Sustainability Lab is involved in long term research in Budai Salt Pan Wetland and Chigu Salt Pan Wetland located in Southwestern Taiwan. Our research has identified 11 ecosystem services provided by these saltpan wetlands, including: food, genetic materials, climate regulation, water purification and waste treatment, natural hazard regulation, pollination, spiritual and inspirational value, recreation, aesthetic value, education, and nutrient cycling. These ecosystem services have high value as the quality of the salt pan water influences the quality of the channel water, which is used in agriculture and aquaculture in the region. The salt pan wetlands also provide healthy habitat and food for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill, which provides aesthetic, educational and eco-tourism opportunities. The natural hazard regulation services provided by the salt pans are also increasingly important, as the surrounding fishponds and villages face flooding and land subsidence problems that will worsen with climate change. Wise-use plans hope to utilize these ecosystem services to allow communities to live with wetlands instead of just next to wetlands.

Research in Budai Salt Pan wetland has proven through modeling, physical experimentation and real time implementation of flood management practices, that if the water gates are managed well, the abandoned salt pans in Budai are able to play an important role in protecting neighboring communities from flooding while at the same time preserving bird habitat [1]. In addition to flood mitigation, water purification services provided by the abandoned salt pans are also important for this region, and will become ever more important as sea level rise and climate change heighten flood and salinization risk.