2009年8月莫拉克颱風襲臺，在南臺灣造成重創，高樹鄉為屏東平原沿山受災情況最嚴重地區。高樹鄉位於屏東平原東北部的沿山地區，內部族群組成猶如屏東平原的縮影。地理環境夏季多驟雨，降水強度大，加上沖積扇的網流地形，長年帶來嚴重水患，造成農地、屋舍沖毀或淹沒，也使得多數聚落居民因為原居地遭河水衝毀而遷徙。日治昭和2年（1927）起政府陸續修築堤防，漸有改善。因大自然中存在著不穩定性，時有無法預期的環境風險，讓人地互動更顯得其複雜性。人地互動的過程中，居民的開發與利用，以及國家力量的介入，造成環境的改變。本文透過文獻史料的蒐集分析與解讀，以高樹鄉為例，探討屏東平原沿山地區在歷史發展過程中的人地關係，並釐清環境變遷下區域發展歷程。

In August 2009, Typhoon Morakot severely struck Southern Taiwan, while Gaushu was the most damaged along the mountain regions of Pingtung Plains. Located in the mountain region of northern Pingtung Plains, the internal tribal constituents Gaushu serves as an epitome of Pingtung Plains. Such a geographical environment often brings downpours in summer. The huge amount of sudden rainfall, along with the network flow typography of alluvial fan, leads to severe inundation which washes away or submerges farmlands and farmhouses. The majority of the settlers, as a result, migrated to other areas since their original settlements had been destroyed by the flooding river. Since 1927, the continual construction of embankment made certain improvements. However, the instability in nature and unpredictable environmental risks further complicated the interaction between human and land. During the process of human-land interaction, the developments and utilization by the settlers, changes made to the environment by the intervention of government power, and the force of nature catalyzing the occurrence of disasters elevate the risks to environment. This study is also intended to investigate, after a long-term interaction between ethnic groups, between ethnic groups and environment, and between the national and regions, how local uniqueness can be shaped.