Typhoon damage 'legacy of abuse'

Years of "unrestrained environmental abuse" has been blamed for destruction wreaked on Taiwan by Typhoon Morakot.

New Zealand gave close to $500,000 to help reconstruction but survivors are appealing for Kiwis to also share their environmental expertise and visit Taiwan these holidays.

"An eco-forest area was the pride of our village but what we took generations to build was washed away in three days," Wen Yin Feng, head of Meishan Village in Southern Taiwan, told the Herald.

"I don't trust governments or organisations to help us rebuild the forest, because they may just claim it to be theirs after it's done. But I understand many in New Zealand are environmental experts, and we really hope people like that can come and help us."

Although 80 per cent of his village was destroyed, Mr Feng said they were lucky because no lives were lost.

About an hour's drive away is the worst-hit village of Xiaolin, in Kaohsiung County, where more than 300 houses were flattened and nearly 400 bodies still remain buried.

Buddhist temple worker Ly Ling Hsieh said Xiaolin was once a bustling mountain village, but the only visitors "the mass graveyard" gets these days are "disaster tourists" - who go there only to see the extent of the damage or to offer prayers for the dead.

"Despite the damage, many villagers are determined not to be relocated. The Government can try to rebuild roads and rail, but until the tourists start coming to these villages again, they will not be able to rebuild their lives," Ms Hsieh said.

The record rain dumped on the region's mountains and rivers in August left 700 dead or missing, thousands homeless and many mountain villages in isolation because of damage to roads and rail.

Worst hit were central Taiwan's Nantou County, noted for its tourist haven of Sun Moon Lake, and Chiayi County, known for another tourist hot spot, Alishan. Tourist numbers have dwindled since the typhoon and for two months, despite preparing for daily performances, tribal dancers there had no one to perform for.

Critics have blamed much of the damage on years of ruthless exploitation of the island, ignored by the Government and most of the Taiwanese people pursuing fast economic development at any cost.

"After years of depletion of the island, nature is striking back," Tsao Chi-hung, Pingtung County magistrate was quoted as saying in an AFP report.

Chang Herng Yuh, director of the Morakot post-disaster reconstruction council, acknowledged that "poor land planning" may have contributed to the scale of destruction, but said what was important now was "to plan ahead".

"The Government is introducing tough new planning laws and we are doing all we can to help the villagers rebuild their lives," Mr Chang said.

"But what is also important is how to rebuild their livelihoods, and tourism is what many of them depend on to survive."

Francis Liang, Taiwan's Vice-minister for Economic Affairs, is hopeful that bilateral visa waivers between his country and New Zealand will lead to an increase in tourist numbers in 2010. "I understand New Zealanders love to travel but last year only 9000 Kiwis came to Taiwan," said Mr Liang.

"I am confident the visa waiver ... can only be good for Taiwan, New Zealand and survivors of Typhoon Morakot."

* Lincoln Tan visited Taiwan as a guest of the Taiwan Government Information Office