Indigenous Wisdom Guides Sustainable Forest Management in Taiwan

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Chiayi branch is immersing its engineering staff in indigenous wisdom to foster sustainable forest management. The agency organized an "Engineering Ecological Review Outdoor Education Training" in the Daban village, a community known for its rich Tsou culture and natural resources.

The training brought together agency employees, design supervisors, construction units, NGOs, community development associations, and tribal representatives. Led by Tsou hunter association member An Hsiao-ming, participants embarked on field surveys along the Iskiyana River. They learned about the local environment, including stream ecosystems, habitat characteristics, and the cultural significance of various plants.

The initiative aims to instill an "eco-friendly" mindset in engineers, encouraging them to integrate ecological considerations into every stage of project management, from planning and design to construction and maintenance. The goal is to create a harmonious balance between disaster prevention, ecological conservation, and sustainable governance.

Chiayi branch officials emphasized that ecological considerations are crucial for disaster prevention, engineering safety, and environmental sustainability. They plan to continue collaborating with tribal communities, academia, and NGOs to incorporate local culture and traditional ecological knowledge into engineering practices. This approach seeks to build resilient forest environments that respect both ecological needs and cultural heritage.

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We hope that by walking into the village and the actual site, engineering personnel can deeply understand how the mountain forest environment and engineering governance can be compatible.