TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Indigenous people have come to an agreement with authorities in Hualien on a plan to establish a conservation area around Ning-av Kavilan, which is known as Qicai Lake (七彩湖) in Chinese.

The local forestry bureau said on Thursday (March 14) the conservation area will protect the wildlife and help to preserve local Indigenous culture, per CNA. It said a plan detailing the scope and conditions for the conservation area has been sent to the local authorities to ensure it complies with national laws.

The forestry bureau said that over recent years the opening of mountain areas and the lifting of traffic restrictions on nearby roads has led to a significant increase in visitors to the lake. It said this has had a deleterous impact on the environment and Indigenous communities.

Ning-av Kavilan is the second-largest mountain lake in Taiwan, and it has long been an important cultural site for Indigenous peoples. The lake’s name means “hunting lake” or “war lake” in the Bunun tribal language.

The forestry bureau said it has consulted with the Bunun and Taroko people of the nearby Wanrong township since 2019. The bureau said the protected area would be in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was issued in 2007.