Approaching Taiwan's coastal management problems from the perspective of Toucheng Beach's disappearance

Abstract Taiwan's coastal development and use in the past focused on the economy over the environment, neglecting the overall balance and sustainability of the coasts. Overall coastal planning, integrated laws and policies, and dedicated management agencies were lacking. This led to multiple incompatible patterns of land use and numerous coastal management problems. In this study, the disappearance of the historical Toucheng Beach, in Yilan County in Northeastern Taiwan served as an example to explicate these domestic coastal management problems. We analyzed the resulting problems and proposed management strategies as a reference for subsequent development of coastal management in Taiwan.