202501/17
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) has actively promoted a co-management mechanism for natural resources with indigenous people, providing guidance to tribal communities to establish cooperatives for the development of diversified green forest industries. It has also encouraged the participation of indigenous communities in decision-making and policy development, notably in the establishment of forest recreation areas and wildlife refuges, thus exemplifying a successful model of joint natural resource management between indigenous people and the government.
The FANCA stated that it manages more than 90% of Taiwan’s national forest land, which have a high degree of overlap with the traditional living areas of indigenous people. Previously, policy constraints led to frequent conflicts and mistrust between indigenous people and the forestry competent authority. As a result, the conservation and management of national forests were restricted for a long time, which made it difficult to improve the efficiency of forest management. To break the deadlock, the FANCA has been promoting co-management and resource sharing of national forests since 2017 based on the core value of “sustainability” shared with indigenous people. By revising the Forestry Act and the Key Points of Co-management with Indigenous Peoples, relevant regulations have been gradually relaxed to establish a co-management system with the indigenous communities as equal entities, promoting cooperation between the two sides.
Take the Saisiyat people of Nanzhuang, Miaoli, as an example. After the FANCA Hsinchu held a reconciliation ceremony with the Saisiyat people in 2018, the two sides began to work closely together. From under-forest beekeeping and shiitake mushroom farming to establishing a cooperative to develop indigenous community eco-tourism, the Saisiyat members have gradually achieved diversified resource utilization. At the same time, the indigenous community has engaged in the management of national forests, the reuse of forestry remaining materials, and the restoration of the endangered plant species "Nansho Daidai Sour Orange" (Citrus taiwanica Tanaka & Shimada). They have also introduced new technologies to develop innovative products to increase output value. With the assistance of the FANCA, the Saisiyat indigenous community has effectively used natural resources to develop a sustainable Satoyama economy, attracting youth back home, revitalizing their culture, and preserving traditional mountain wisdom.
Starting from 2024, the indigenous community has promoted its successful experience internationally, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with National Chengchi University and the FANCA to establish the PaKaSan International Education Center in the traditional Saisiyat territory of Nanzhuang. Currently, experts, scholars, and international students from the Philippines, Japan, and Hong Kong have come to observe Taiwan’s soft power in the application of traditional eco-wisdom and the management of natural resources, giving the world a glimpse of Taiwan.
In addition, the Atayal indigenous community of Hualing Village, Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, has been working together with the FANCA Hsinchu to promote the establishment of the Lalashan (R'ra) National Forest Recreation Area since they established a co-management committee in 2018. Through tribal meetings, public hearings, and co-management meetings, indigenous community residents fully participated in the decision-making and, after reaching a consensus, promoted the establishment and subsequent management of the recreation area. The recreation area officially opened on April 18, 2023, becoming the first national forest recreation area in Taiwan established with the participation of indigenous community members in the decision-making. The recreation area focuses on eco-tourism, connecting visitors with surrounding indigenous attractions and cultural history, while also promoting environmental education and driving overall regional development.
In the Danda area of Nantou, theFANCA Nantou and the Bunun people of Xinyi Township established a co-management committee to promote the establishment of a wildlife refuge. The FANCA Hualien has also held several discussions with the Bunun and Taroko peoples in Wanrong Township to plan the establishment of wildlife refuges in Nantou and Hualien, respectively. Local indigenous community members will be involved in the decision-making processes regarding the conservation plans and management mechanisms of these refuges, ensuring the achievement of dual objectives related to conservation and cultural heritage. The wildlife refuge in Danda is expected to be officially completed in 2025.
Starting in 2024, the FANCA has reviewed and revised the co-management mechanism to strengthen co-management cooperation. In the future, a co-management contract will be formally introduced to give the responsibility of forest management to the indigenous communities and achieve the vision of "sharing rights and sharing responsibilities." This aligns with international conservation trends and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity's emphasis on the importance of indigenous traditional ecological knowledge for biodiversity conservation. In addition, the implementation of the co-management mechanism not only realizes the indigenous community-centric governance model but also achieves the objective of co-existence and co-prosperity between forests and indigenous people.