In marking the World Wetlands Day on February 2nd and the 40th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention, the Ministry of the Interior has announced the new list of precious wetlands of Taiwan. Now, let's find out which 14 sites are added this year.

A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally.

Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water.

If forests are the lungs of the earth, wetlands are the kidneys, which have an important function in ecology as well as purification.

Wetlands can even bring enormous economic values.

Therefore, Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior adds 14 new sites on the list of important national wetlands and pledges to protect the sites.

The new additions include the seven sites on the Tamshui River and Hsutsukang wetland, a part of which is included in the Taoyuan Aerotropolis construction and even the artificial Toucian River Ecology Park.

But the disputed designate site of Kuoguang Petrochemical Plant,

estuary of Cho-shuei River and the Dachen wetland are not included in the list.

The Ministry says that just because they are not included in the list doesn't mean that they are not important.

The ministry faced overwhelming obstruction and can only hope the Wetland Conservation Act to be approved soon.

However, since the environmental assessment review for development of the Kuoguang Petrochemical Plant is to be done soon,

scholars believe the project should be halted since the authority also recognized the importance of Dachen Wetland.

Otherwise, once the wetland is damaged, there's nothing can be done to undo it.

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