Co-producing an integrated landscape and seascape approach in the Indigenous Amis Makotaay Gangkou Village, Hualien County, Taiwan

Resilience assessment workshops (RAWs) were employed as a community-based participatory tool to identify key issues in the Gangkou landscape–seascape. Building on a series of preparatory meetings, field visits, and online consultations held from March to August 2021, six workshops were organized with members of the Indigenous Amis Makotaay (Gangkou) Village in September 2021. Each workshop was structured around five interrelated nature–culture themes: (A) ecosystem diversity and connectivity; (B) sustainable resource use and agri-/aquaculture; (C) Indigenous and local knowledge, culture, and innovation; (D) shared governance, partnerships, and institutions; and (E) sustainable livelihoods and local economy. Over the course of discussions, community members identified more than 120 ecological, social, cultural, and economic issues. Among them, 43 were prioritized as requiring urgent and coordinated action. In December 2021, these 43 priority issues became the foundation of the action plan for the Gangkou Initiative. At the request of the community, they were further organized under four interconnected sub-themes— “Forest,” “River,” “Farmlands/Village,” and “Intertidal Zone and Ocean”—and grouped according to their level of urgency, providing both a clear framework for implementation and a shared vision for action.

[People] and [Process] form the core of the second building block, which focuses on addressing local issues through joint action and effective implementation of the action plan. In March 2022, we established a multi-stakeholder platform for the Gangkou Forest-River-Village-Ocean Initiative (Gangkou ILSA). The platform is co-chaired by our Agency and the Gangkou community, with National Dong Hwa University serving as facilitator. Over time, additional partners—including government agencies, the local school, private companies, and NGOs—have joined. Collaboration is conducted in a cross-sectoral and co-productive manner, with responsibilities divided according to expertise. Our Agency oversees sustainable forestry and biodiversity conservation of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems. Agricultural production and irrigation are supported by the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station and the Irrigation Agency; eco-tourism development is led by the East Coast National Scenic Area Headquarters and the Hualien County Government; place-based education and the arts are supported by Gangkou Primary School and Node Creative Company; and coastal ecosystem restoration is advanced by the Ocean Conservation Administration.

[Progress] and [Scaling] are the key elements of the third building block, focused on ensuring continuity of the Gangkou Initiative and linking its efforts with Taiwan’s national conservation policy—the Taiwan Ecological Network (TEN). Recognizing the multiple values of the Initiative—both within the local nature–culture context and in the national spatial planning and conservation framework—is essential for sustaining stakeholder engagement and ensuring long-term progress. Our Agency has highlighted the role of Gangkou Village as a biodiversity hotspot located at the intersection of the Coastal Mountain Range and the Xiuguluan River conservation corridors of TEN. This positioning underscores the importance of an integrated approach to conserving terrestrial, inland water, intertidal, and coastal ecosystems, while also supporting sustainable-use activities and cultural practices. Such efforts are vital not only for local sustainability but also for advancing the national biodiversity agenda. Building on this spatial context, we have shared Gangkou’s experiences through workshops and networking events that foster connections with other villages along the Pacific coast and throughout the Xiuguluan River watershed, including our related PANORAMA solution in Xinshe Village.