Standing by the rivers of our homeland for a cleaner future

Known as “Taijiang” in ancient times, Chianan Irrigation System in Tainan’s Annan District was divided into water supply and drainage channels throughout Taijiang tidal land. The 7 main channels, which include Haiwei harbor, Benyuanliao, Lioukuailiao, Anshun, Dazhou, Yanshui River and Tsengwen, have provided clean irrigation water to the agriculture and aquaculture industries of Taijiang since ancient times.

In his course “Investigating the Ecology of Taijiang Rivers – Benyuanliao Drainage System” at Taijiang Branch of Tainan Community University, lecturer Shen Jie-wen (沈介文) explains that most people are more that just unfamiliar with their local rivers, they are actually clueless about them. This problem is compounded when children growing up see rivers covered in concrete and mistake them for stinking sewers or gutters. In fact, rivers are rich ecological habitats and beautiful cultural spaces.

Leading study tours of the river basin, Shen Jie-wen explains natural methods of river engineering to participants while they stand alongside the river, turning specialized knowledge into practical knowledge of life. By forcing everyone to jointly reflect on the kind of appearance that rivers should have, perhaps the day on which we achieve cleaner rivers is one step closer!

Standing by the rivers of our homeland for a cleaner future

URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/293241

(以下是中文對照)

站在家鄉的河流 連結未來的清流

台南市安南區古稱台江，嘉南大圳分為給水與排水線，密布在台江海埔地，其中海尾港、本淵寮、六塊寮、安順、大州、鹽水溪、曾文溪排水線為台江七大排水線，自古以來，為台江農漁業灌溉提供了乾淨的水源。

台江分校沈介文講師在『台江河川生態踏查小旅行─本淵寮排水線』課程中表示，一般民眾對家鄉的河流是陌生的，是缺乏想像的，遑論小學生從小就面對水泥化河流，可能誤以為河流就只是一條臭水溝，一條水泥溝，一條垃圾溝。其實，河流是豐富的生態棲地，河流是美麗的人文空間。

沈介文帶領流域學習夥伴，透過踏查小旅行，站在河流上，解說河川自然工法，將專業知識變成生活常識，提醒流域學習夥伴，共同思考、想像河流應該擁有何種樣貌，期許，未來的清流，離我們更近！