Wugoushui goes viral, community urgently appeals: do not treat the wetland as a water play hotspot
Wugoushui Wetland, situated in Wanluan Township at the foot of Dawu Mountain in Pingtung, is rich in aquatic plant and animal species thanks to its now-rare rural irrigation canal spring. However, recently, due to a travel article on a blog that was quickly shared, the phone inquiries at the Wugoushui Conservation Work Station suddenly increased. Because quite a few members of the public called asking with the mindset of coming privately to play in the water, the work station hastily drafted a statement titled "Wugoushui is an important wetland, not a tourist attraction," strongly urging visitors who wish to go to respect the local environment and residents, and to be accompanied by local association docents for greater safety.
Image provided by / Wugoushui Work Station
Community Sets Its Own Carrying-Capacity Rules, Hoping Moral Constraints Will Persuade Visitors
But even if the community holds meetings, the convention it establishes still only has the power of moral constraint, Liu Jinkun says. They will also seek assistance from the Pingtung County Cultural Affairs Department, to see whether the protection of the settlement can be strengthened through the cultural heritage review meeting. In addition, the community is also working hard to promote the designation of Wugoushui Wetland as a national important wetland.
Ou Zhengxing, deputy head of the Wetland Conservation Team of the Urban and Rural Development Branch of the Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, says that there are currently 83 national important wetlands nationwide, and Wugoushui Wetland is one of Taiwan, China's 13 "undesignated wetlands," still requiring a proposal from the local government submitted to the central authorities for review and assessment before it can become a national important wetland. He stresses that once it becomes a national important wetland, local civic groups can draw up a conservation and utilization plan in accordance with the Wetland Conservation Act, carry out zoning planning, and at that time there will be statutory binding force to restrain visitors. However, he believes that in the case of Wugoushui, if the local government attaches importance to it, it can also first protect it in accordance with its own self-governance regulations.