TAIWAN

Taiwan has significant environmental challenges. 74% of the country is mountainous, with steep slopes and the annual typhoons cause frequent flooding and landslides. Despite considerable forest exploitation during the 20th century, 58% of the land area is still forested; however forest clearing for crops, road construction and development has reduced slope stability, increasing the risks of flooding and soil erosion. There are currently 590 people per square kilometre, putting serious pressure on the land.

However, commercial exploitation is now banned and the forests are managed primarily for watershed protection. The government established a special police force in 2004, initially on a trial basis, to patrol the forests and deter illegal logging and poaching. The force has been largely successful, although it has been accused of harassing tribal people permitted to hunt in the forests.

Taiwan's wood processing industry used to focus on local wood but the country is now a major timber importer, mainly from other countries in the region. Domestic demand is high, but there is also a significant industry producing 'high end' furniture and hardwood flooring for export.

There is a substantial body of evidence to show that Taiwan is a major importer of illegal timber ' mainly from Indonesia, via Malaysia ' which is processed and often exported on to the US and EU. The Taiwanese government has been urged to put in place effective controls to combat this illegal trade.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
01/01/2008	Forest anti-corruption advocacy in Asia-Pacific: Transparency International Strategy 2008-2012 The TI Forest Anti-Corruption Advocacy Programme (TI FAAP) addresses corruption as a primary driver of illegal ...	Transparency International
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01/01/2008	The illegal trade in timber and timber products in the Asia-Pacific region This report examines the scale of the illegal timber trade in the Asia-Pacific region, encompassing the ...	Australian Institute of Criminology (Andreas Schloenhardt)
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
28/06/2012	Taiwan indicts loggers for cutting down 2,000-year-old trees Taipei - Taiwanese prosecutors on Thursday accused a group of 22 men of felling several 2,000-year-old ...	The Straits Times, Singapore
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10/04/2012	Illegal loggers detained Taipei - Investigators in Yilan County said Tuesday they have nabbed a 12-man gang involved in a February ...	Focus Taiwan
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13/01/2012	Officials accused of not protecting state forests Passing the buck: A Forestry Bureau official said the state-owned forest was in an Aboriginal reserve ...	Taipei Times, Taiwan
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19/12/2011	Taiwan eyes forest certification Although Taiwan does not currently have forest certification standards, the forestry association said ...	Taipei Times
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13/05/2009	Mountain ranger defies illegal loggers to protect rare trees Every time Chung Chih-yung comes across an old tree, he invariably hugs it and greets it as affectionately ...	Taiwan News
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17/04/2008	Indonesian authorities seize illegal timber Jakarta, Indonesia - Indonesian national police have confiscated some 12,000 cubic meters of illegally ...	Furniture Today
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15/03/2008	Forests vanishing fast: WWF official An increasing percentage of greenhouse gas emissions is a result of deforestation and forest degradation, ...	Taipei Times
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16/07/2004	Forest cops target poaching, illegal logging The Council of Agriculture (COA) announced July 1 the official formation of a special police force to ...	Taiwan Journal
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15/07/2004	Taiwan urged to suspend trade in Indonesia wood A coalition of international environmental groups yesterday called on Taiwan's government to end ...	Taiwan News.com
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14/07/2004	Ban sale of ramin: lobby group An international NGO suggested Taiwan could be a trendsetting force if it made use of ramin illegal, ...	Taipei Times
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