Taiwan Satoyama News
Carp Leaping over Dragon’s Gate: 2024 in review – the Satoyama year to remember
[Written by @ScapesLab, Center for Sustainable Development, National Dong Hwa University]
2024, the year of the Dragon (Long), carried with it the characteristics of this legendary creature: adventurous, bold, fast-paced, and forward-looking. From the “3 in 1” training workshops on promotion of the Satoyama Initiative and Community Forestry within the framework of Taiwan Ecological Network (March-July), to two-day IPSI Collaborative Activity event between Taiwan’s 26 IPSI members (May), to advanced workshops on resilience assessment and adaptive co-management in Taiwan’s SEPLS, to participation in CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia (October-November) – 2024 was certainly a year to remember. Let’s explore each of its milestones in a bit more detail.
March-July 2024 | A series of the “3 in 1” training and consultation workshops on the Satoyama Initiative, Community Forestry and Taiwan Ecological Network
In 2018, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency introduced
Taiwan Ecological Network (國土生態保育綠色網絡建置計畫) as the first of its kind national program that combines biodiversity data-based spatial planning and cross-sectoral cooperation for an effective area-based conservation in Taiwan’s shallow mountains, plains, wetlands, and coastal areas. Its two main objectives focus on (I) restoration and support of resilient, biodiverse, connected, and well-functioning ecosystems, and (II) conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in SEPLS, and promotion of community resilience (Figure 1). Taiwan Ecological Network completed its first phase in 2018-2021 and is currently in its second phase (2022-2025).
Figure 1. Taiwan Ecological Network (est. 2018) and the Satoyama communities
In 2022, having become the leader of the Taiwan Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (TPSI), Professor Mei-Hui Chen from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (TPSI-South regional exchange base) introduced the
“3 in 1” strategy strategy to foster implementation of Taiwan Ecological Network in SEPLS. The main goal of the “3 in 1” strategy is to build on the strengths of the integrated landscape-seascape approaches promoted by the Satoyama Initiative (est. 2010) and community-led conservation projects supported by the
Community Forestry program (est. 2002) and effectively align them with the spatial planning and action tasks of Taiwan Ecological Network (Figure 2).
Figure 2. The “3 in 1” strategy - the Satoyama Initiative, Community Forestry and Taiwan Ecological Network
In 2022-2023, the “3 in 1” strategy was the main theme of TPSI annual regional exchange workshops. These interactive on-the-ground exchanges between Satoyama practitioners explored the role of production activities and sustainable use of biodiversity in SEPLS, helped to foster community partnerships across conservation corridors, and promoted new approaches to community-based conservation. To learn more about the workshops, visit: Act Local - at the heart of TPSI activities: TPSI 2022 Regional Exchange Workshops
Act Local-at the heart of TPSI activities: TPSI 2022 Regional Exchange Workshops and
Conservation, Production and Partnerships: the “Three in One” Strategy for 2023 TPSI Regional Exchange Workshops.
In March-July 2024, TPSI team with support from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency decided to take promotion of the “3 in 1” strategy to the next level through a series of indoor training and consultation workshops. A total of eight workshops were conducted on the premises of the eight branches of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency. In addition to the Agency staff who took on the role of preparing and leading the workshops, representatives of the SEPLS communities and partners from the ecological consultant companies were also invited to join in. The main objectives of these one-day indoor events included: a better understanding of priority issues faced by the SEPLS communities; alignment of SEPLS priorities with the seven action tasks of Taiwan Ecological Network (Figure 3); brainstorming ideas to enhance implementation of Taiwan Ecological Network on the ground, especially during its third phase (2026-2029).
Figure 3. Strategic action tasks of Taiwan Ecological Network
The workshops proved to be a big success and received a warm welcome from all participants. It was a unique opportunity to not only deepen the knowledge about the “3 and 1” strategy and its components but also to engage in an interactive discussion of common challenges and ways forward. Ecological connectivity and water supply, impacts of climate change on production activities, invasive alien species and the need for long-term biodiversity monitoring, aging and depopulation in SEPLS, transmission and documentation of Indigenous and local knowledge, biodiversity-based incomes and business engagement (including ESG) – these and many other environmental, social and economic concerns were raised by the participants. They will serve as a critical foundation for strengthening the implementation of Taiwan Ecological Network in the coming years.
The ”3 in 1” training and consultation workshops in photos:
TPSI-North regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Yilan Branch (Image source: TPSI-N, 2024 ©)
TPSI-North regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Hsinchu Branch (Image source: TPSI-N, 2024 ©)
TPSI-West regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Taichung Branch (Image source: TPSI-W, 2024 ©)
TPSI-West regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Nantou Branch (Image source: TPSI-W, 2024 ©)
TPSI-South regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Chiayi Branch (Image source: TPSI-S, 2024 ©)
TPSI-South regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Pingtung Branch (Image source: TPSI-S, 2024 ©)
TPSI-East regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Hualien Branch (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
TPSI-East regional exchange base/ Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Taitung Branch (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
May 2024 | 2024 IPSI Collaborative Activity: Taiwan IPSI Members Annual Exchange
Annual exchanges between Taiwan IPSI members have been a tradition since 2019. Usually conducted indoors as a half-day or one-day event, they bring together IPSI members from all around the island to share their achievements, exchange experiences and prepare for important IPSI events. Over the years, the themes of the exchanges have included: “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and its importance for the Satoyama Initiative in Taiwan” (2020), “Ten years of the Satoyama Initiative in Taiwan: lessons learned and future outlook” (2021), “Taiwan’s SEPLS: society living in connectivity with nature” (2022), and “IPSI Plan of Action (2023-2030): the meaning of five strategic objectives for Taiwan’s SEPLS” (2023).
In 2024, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, National Dong Hwa University, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, and Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute jointly launched IPSI Collaborative Activity entitled “
Taiwan IPSI Members Annual Exchange events – fostering an effective implementation of the 2023-2030 IPSI Plan of Action in Taiwan”. Its main objective was to foster an in-depth exchange of practical knowledge and on-the-ground experiences between Taiwan’s IPSI members and effectively implement the five strategic objectives of
IPSI Plan of Action (2023-2030) island-wide: (I) knowledge co-production, management, and uptake; (II) institutional frameworks and capacity development; (III) area-based conservation measures, (IV) ecosystem restoration, and (V) sustainable value chain development.
2024 Taiwan IPSI Members Annual Exchange took place on 30-31 May as a two-day outdoor and indoor workshop focused on the theme “Next stop - Biocultural Diversity: Satoyama art and craft for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in SEPLS”. The event featured visits to coastal SEPLS (Xinshe and Gangkou Villages, Fengbin Township) and shallow mountain SEPL (Luoshan Village, Fuli Township and Nan’An Tribe, Zhuoxi Township) of Hualien County. Community-based interpretation in SEPLS, Satoyama art and craft exhibition, and DIY activities were the highlights of the event. In addition to being the first ever outdoor annual exchange, this event was also the first time for Taiwan IPSI members to look at the conservation and sustainable use efforts from the perspective of biocultural diversity.
The 2024 annual exchange event was made even more special by participation of the distinguished Satoyama guests from Japan: Dr. Maiko Nishi – a Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability and Mr. Koji Miwa – a Policy Researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. They shared their insights and knowledge during community visits and gave presentations about the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative and the Satoyama Development Mechanism. On 1-2 June, Dr. Maiko Nishi and Mr. Koji Miwa continued their Taiwan journey and visited Saisiyat community in Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County to learn more about another IPSI collaborative activity: “
Implementing the Satoyama Initiative to promote sustainable development within the Saisiyat tribal community".
2024 IPSI Collaborative Activity in photos:
Dr. Maiko Nishi (left) and Mr. Koji Miwa (right) attending 2024 Taiwan IPSI Members Annual Exchange (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
SEPLS interpretation tour by Hanna Deng from Dipit Tribe, Xinshe SEPLS, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Indigenous Kavalan workshop at pateRungan Tribe, Xinshe SEPLS, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Sustainable use of biodiversity at Makota’ay Tribe, Gangkou SEPLS, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Indigenous Amis wood carving traditions, Gangkou SEPLS, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Sustainable produce of Luoshan SEPL, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Bamboo forest therapy at Luoshan SEPL, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Presentation of Taiwan Ecological Network by Mr. Tsium-Tse Huang, Director of Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
Indigenous Bunun bean variety – biocultural diversity on display, Nan’An SEPL, Hualien County (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
September 2024 | From resilience assessment to adaptive co-management to biodiversity conservation in Taiwan’s SEPLS – “RAWs-to-ACM-to-TEN” Strategic Training Workshop
In
June 2022 Issue of Taiwan Satoyama News, we introduced to our readers the first nation-wide assessment of social-ecological resilience in Taiwan’s SEPLS: from identifying local issues to fostering adaptive co-management. This long-term project was initiated in 2020 by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and National Dong Hwa University (TPSI-East regional exchange base) as a part of the
2020 Satoyama Development Mechanism project and supported by TPSI-South, North, and West regional exchange bases. Two phases of the project have been successfully implemented since then - phase I in 2020-2022 and phase II in 2023-2024. They resulted in a complete assessment of resilience in 16 SEPLS around the island (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Sixteen communities that participated in the resilience assessment project in 2020-2024. The project is actively continuing in 2025. (Image source: Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and @ScapesLab, 2025 ©) Abbreviations: FANCA – the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, RAWs – resilience assessment workshops, TPSI – Taiwan Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, northern, western, southern, and eastern regional bases. Note: Approximate locations of SEPLS are marked with red dots.
The initial goal of the project was to understand the state of resilience in Taiwan’s SEPLS by identifying environmental and socio-economic risks and resources and relevant priority issues in SEPLS communities. Resilience assessment workshops, dubbed RAWs for short, served this purpose. Once RAWs were completed, analysis and integration of their results into adaptive co-management (ACM) in SEPLS was the next goal. Development of action plans, engagement of public and private actors, and setting up of multi-stakeholder partnerships were the key components of this RAWs-to-ACM process. Moreover, over the years, RAWs-to-ACM positioned themselves as an effective monitoring and evaluation tool for Taiwan Ecological Network – Taiwan’s main conservation policy.
This is why, in September 2024, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and National Dong Hwa University organized a two-day (online and in-person) “RAWs-to-ACM-to-TEN” strategic training workshop that brought together resilient SEPLS communities, staff from the eight branches of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, RAWs-to-ACM facilitators, and four regional exchange bases of TPSI. In addition to following up on the progress to date, it allowed the participants to brainstorm on such topics as: understanding the “spatial” role of SEPLS communities within Taiwan Ecological Network; aligning priority issues of SEPLS communities with the objectives and strategic action tasks of Taiwan Ecological Network; and exploring ways to enhance biodiversity monitoring in Taiwan’s SEPLS, including engagement with citizen science and community-based monitoring.
As the second phase of Taiwan Ecological Network wraps up in 2025 and the third phase begins in 2026 (2026-2029), RAWs-to-ACM-to TEN will continue to play an important role in timely reflecting local priorities within the national conservation agenda.
For more information about “RAWs-to-ACM-to-TEN” and its relevance to biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation in Taiwan, see also “Conservation and adaptation go hand in hand: on the role of Taiwan Ecological Network in fostering resilient landscapes and seascapes” - our online article in
Taiwan Insight.
The 2024 “RAWs-to-ACM-to-TEN” strategic training workshop in photos (Image source: @ScapesLab, 2024 ©)
October-November 2024 | Taiwan Satoyama ambassadors at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia
2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) convened in Cali, Colombia, on 21 October-1 November. It was regarded by many as both a milestone and a compass for biodiversity conservation towards 2030 as it demonstrated a truly people-centred approach to conservation. Among its
many important decisions, CBD COP16 adopted a new Programme of Work on Article 8(j) to strengthen the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This is a great achievement and reason to celebrate for many members of global Satoyama community.
Taiwan Satoyama News team also actively participated in CBD COP16 and its various side events, organised by our long-term partners:
PANORAMA Solutions for a Healthy Planet Platform, the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, and
IPBES Task Force on Indigenous and Local Knowledge with support from the Biodiversity Finance Program BIOFIN. We shared our knowledge and experiences about integrated landscape and seascape approaches, Taiwan Ecological Network, Community Forestry project, community-based biodiversity monitoring and assessment of resilience in SEPLS, biodiversity finance, public-private and community-government partnerships for conservation, and many others. Below is the list of our CBD COP16 contributions with additional links where applicable:
Taiwan Satoyama team at CBD COP16 in photos (Image source: Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, 2024 ©):
Team Taiwan at CBD COP16
Brochures introducing Taiwan Ecological Network at CBD COP16
Professor Kuang-Chung Lee presenting at the IPSI side event, 22 October 2024
Dr. Paulina G. Karim presenting at the PANORAMA side event, 23 October 2024
Saisiyat Elder Chih-You Ken presenting at the IPSI side event, 31 October 2024
Dr. Paulina G. Karim (first left) and Dr. Chih-Chin Shih (second left) at the BoiFIN side events, 31 October-1 November 2024
More news to keep track of:
Our 2024 publications:
- “Satoyama Deep Economy: 20 Years of Community Forestry in Taiwan” book (里山根經濟: 社區林業的知與行20年書籍) . Purchase at the National Bookshop: https://www.govbooks.com.tw/books/141335
- Karim, P.G. and Lee, K.C. (2024). Landscape Approaches for the 30x30 Target: Potential Applications and Practical Recommendations. PARKS 30(2), 78-84; https://parksjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Karim-and-Lee_Short-communication_ PARKS-30.2.pdf
- Karim, P.G.; Lee, K.C.; Liao, R.Y.; Chen, M.H. (2024). You Are My Mountain, I Am Your Community: Rebuilding Nature-Culture Connectivity in Taiwan’s Lishan Areas. In: Sarmiento, F.O., Gunya, A. (eds) Mountain Lexicon. Montology, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-64884-7_30
- 孫夏天、李光中（2024）透過里山倡議地景與海景整體取徑實現2050 人與自然和諧共生之願 景〉。國際開發援助現場季刊， 18: 10-24。https://reurl.cc/Q5m7EM
And... Zooming out
Remember to visit IPSI News webpage to learn about the latest updates from our international Satoyama family:
https://satoyamainitiative.org/news/