Scientists have objected to large-scale construction projects, such as the Three
Gorges Dam, dams on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and the West-
East Gas Pipeline Project. All these projects proceeded, notwithstanding the
objections of scientists. In the latter two projects, however, modifications did
meet some of the scientists’environmental objections. A veteran policy analyst
pointed out the contextual factors that condition the influence of science on
policy:
1) ‘If higher officials have reached consensus on an issue, it is not possible to
influence them; if, however, there is dissent among policy-makers, they are
susceptible to influence.
2) If scientists have a strong and unified position on a new issue about which
higher officials are poorly informed, then scientists will be able to influence
government policy;
3) Finally, timing is critically important. During the SARS crisis, scientists
influenced policy because people knew about the issue and trusted scientific
expertise. There was an opportunity then for influence.’^81In Chapter 8 we consider the impact of scientists on the construction of the Nu
River dam in Yunnan Province.
Role of Research Institutions and Scientists in Taiwan
Article 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) asks each
country’s government to establish a biodiversity information exchange center
for the compilation of a national biodiversity database. A national node is also
to be established to serve as a window for information exchange partnerships
and sharing with other countries. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility
(GBIF) was established in 2000 under the terms of the CBD to promote and
integrate biodiversity information and to establish exchange mechanisms.
Taiwan became an official affiliate member of GBIF in March 2003. In the
same year Taiwan established the Taiwan Biodiversity National Information
Network (TaiBNET), which compiles databases of biological species and
biodiversity specialists in Taiwan.
The Academia Sinica is Taiwan’s umbrella science institution, and in 2001
the National Science Council (NSC) commissioned it to design the TaiBNET
website (see http://taibnet.sinica.edu.tw),,) which lists taxonomic information
and the names of biodiversity specialists in Taiwan. Some 500 specialists are
included on the list, which is an acknowledgment of the degree of scientific
expertise and the number of natural scientists in Taiwan. The database also
contains taxonomic data on 45000 species. The TaiBNET coordinates with the
international system through the Taiwan GBIF National Node (TaiBIF – see
http://www.taibif.org.tw),,) established in 2002 at GBIF’s request. The TaiBIF
catalogs biologists in Taiwan, native species, government agencies, research
Current status of species and ecosystems 61