The Changing of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Kongliao-Water-Terrace: Irrigation Management as an Example

• Main Authors: Chuan-Kai Hsieh, 謝傳鎧
• Other Authors: Jer-Ming Hu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/twprdw

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 生態學與演化生物學研究所 === 105 === This study aims to provide an ethnographic view about the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), focusing on the practices of irrigation management, in the so-cial-ecological system of terrace-farming community in Kongliao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Han people have been cultivating rice terraces in this region since middle 19th century. Because of the topological limitation, concentrated irrigation facilities have never been built in the studied area. Instead, small and dispersed irrigation ditches have been used for water transportation between little springs or pools to the terraces. The households share the irrigation water constructed and maintained the common irri-gation system. Those households formed an irrigation community, by which the organ-ization of maintaining efforts of ditches, and distribution of irrigation water was made. In order to maintain the physical integrity of terraces and increase rice productivity, the terrace-farming community made keen observation of the water level within terraces, and make irrigation water available at all times. However, the agricultural and economic regime have changed over the past 40 years, people have been moving out of the rural area to make their living. Cultivating terraces, as well as local irrigation networks, once established and maintained by the households sharing irrigation water, have been de-cayed dramatically since 1970s. The systems of irrigating terraces become more dis-persed, due to the loss of labor and the fragmentation of terraces. Since the irrigation community has disappeared, the systems have gone further individualized. Plastic pipes have gradually replaced the irrigation ditches since 1970s. Nevertheless, guided by the principle of keeping terraces flooded, pipes, ditches and other facilities are utilizing by the farmers, and eventually shaped the material phase of the present irrigation systems. Since 2011, the Forest Bureau has been subsidizing EEFT to build the cooperation and reciprocal relation between local terrace-farmers, under a conservation program recognizing the ecological importance of terraces. Throughout the conservation program, EEFT and the local terrace-farmers have been translating their own interests on the wa-ter management; by participating farming activities and practicing TEK. This study recognized the dynamic and diversified nature of TEK hold by the community of ter-race-farmers in Kongliao. By practicing TEK of irrigation management, the community has adapted the changing of terrace-landscape and the loss of labor. Furthermore, TEK has been implemented as an interface for the negotiation between communities, and human-environment interaction.