The nation’s wetland conservation policy framework should be built upon the Wetland Conservation Act and the Guiding Principles for National Wetland Conservation Initiatives, with a mutually-beneficial, doable modus operandi for all parties involved, so that wetlands can be wisely managed as a biologically unique and viable ecosystem in the greater scheme of national land conservation programs. That said, wetlands – as a distinct ecosystem – should be accorded greater protections from the Council of Agriculture (biodiversity conservation measures, the Satoyama Initiative, and assistive policies to increase wetland productivity), Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior (Strategic Plan for National Spatial Development, and wetland conservation policies), Water Resources Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (water resource management for rivers/oceans/wetlands, flood management), and Environmental Protection Administration (pollution control measures for wetlands and education policies for environmental protection; effective cross-sectoral collaboration and a shared goal are the keys to ensuring sustainable protections for our wetlands. This year’s convention (2018) would continue to pool the talents and integrate resources from all six departments to unlock the potentials of partnerships built between Taiwan and the international conservation community.

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This year’s event is a continuation of the 2016 International Wetland Convention, which found inspirations from “Noah’s Ark” that metaphorized wetland’s biodiverse significance for supporting numerous lifeforms. In 2018, we hope to be more proactive in recognizing and honoring wetland’s multiple ecosystem services, and fulfilling the vision outlined in the Satoyama Initiative – actively promoted by the Forestry Bureau. We hope that every one of the 80 wetlands distributed throughout Taiwan – large and small – can serve as a biodiverse infrastructure to support all the Taiwan-only “forests, rivers, land and oceans,” connecting all the high-altitude lakes, wetlands, rivers, terraced fields in hilly areas, and coastal wetlands, to create a viable ecological network for our national land.