貢寮水梯田耕作社群之傳統生態知識變遷：以灌溉水管理為例

Abstract

本研究從傳統生態知識與社會－生態體系的觀點出發，以生態人類學與民族誌作為方法，描述新北市貢寮南部山區水梯田耕作社群的傳統生態知識變遷。漢人開墾的水稻梯田最晚從19世紀中葉就存在當地，也曾是重要的生計活動。受地形限制，貢寮山區無法設立大型、集中的灌溉設施，而是由小型溝渠連結水源與鄰近的田區。溝渠、埤塘的建設、維護等工作，過去由共享水源的家戶分擔。對水梯田而言，灌溉水管理是耕作最重要的環節之一，維持田間水位更是維繫耕作與水梯田結構的重要管理原則。1970年代後，因農業結構變遷、人口外移等因素，該區域在2015年的梯田面積較1969年下降了97.7%。這項變化反映在水資源管理的變遷上，勞動力流失與灌溉地景變遷的結果，造成田區間的灌溉系統分殊化。分配水與管理溝渠的社群連結消失，灌溉體系進一步分散。1970年代後塑膠管及相關施工方法普及，在維繫田間水位的原則下，與尚存的溝渠、埤塘等多樣技術共同組成當代複雜的水梯田灌溉體系。 2011年後，林務局補助以人禾環境倫理發展基金會為主的工作團隊，進行「田寮洋溼地周邊水梯田生態保育計畫」，與部分仍在耕作水稻梯田，或利用計畫經費恢復耕作梯田的農民合作，透過勞動與對傳統生態知識的理解作為中介，轉譯彼此對於水資源的關心。本研究認為，貢寮水梯田耕作社群的灌溉水管理肯定了傳統生態知識具有的多樣與動態本質，也透過對於水位管理與灌溉水分配的傳統生態知識應對地景與勞動狀況的變遷。本研究肯定傳統生態知識是理解在地社群與所處環境變遷互動的重要途徑，也主張傳統生態知識會隨著社群以及環境的變遷而有著不同的面貌。

This study aims to provide an ethnographic view about the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), focusing on the practices of irrigation management, in the so-cial-ecological system of terrace-farming community in Kongliao District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Han people have been cultivating rice terraces in this region since middle 19th century. Because of the topological limitation, concentrated irrigation facilities have never been built in the studied area. Instead, small and dispersed irrigation ditches have been used for water transportation between little springs or pools to the terraces. The households share the irrigation water constructed and maintained the common irri-gation system. Those households formed an irrigation community, by which the organ-ization of maintaining efforts of ditches, and distribution of irrigation water was made. In order to maintain the physical integrity of terraces and increase rice productivity, the terrace-farming community made keen observation of the water level within terraces, and make irrigation water available at all times. However, the agricultural and economic regime have changed over the past 40 years, people have been moving out of the rural area to make their living. Cultivating terraces, as well as local irrigation networks, once established and maintained by the households sharing irrigation water, have been de-cayed dramatically since 1970s. The systems of irrigating terraces become more dis-persed, due to the loss of labor and the fragmentation of terraces. Since the irrigation community has disappeared, the systems have gone further individualized. Plastic pipes have gradually replaced the irrigation ditches since 1970s. Nevertheless, guided by the principle of keeping terraces flooded, pipes, ditches and other facilities are utilizing by the farmers, and eventually shaped the material phase of the present irrigation systems. Since 2011, the Forest Bureau has been subsidizing EEFT to build the cooperation and reciprocal relation between local terrace-farmers, under a conservation program recognizing the ecological importance of terraces. Throughout the conservation program, EEFT and the local terrace-farmers have been translating their own interests on the wa-ter management; by participating farming activities and practicing TEK. This study recognized the dynamic and diversified nature of TEK hold by the community of ter-race-farmers in Kongliao. By practicing TEK of irrigation management, the community has adapted the changing of terrace-landscape and the loss of labor. Furthermore, TEK has been implemented as an interface for the negotiation between communities, and human-environment interaction.