本論文以吳明益《家離水邊那麼近》的自然生態與人類文化之書寫為題材，探討東臺灣水域生態與地方族群文化發展二者間的共生關係，以及文本中所展現的生態觀。從「水」的探尋發端，作者從其豐富的歷史人文與科學知識背景出發，藉由數次步行並觀察東臺灣溪流與海洋生態的經驗，而在過程中具體落實了對花蓮生態現況的知性思辨。作者並以此為基點，進一步將在地與全球連結，從生態的普世性價值中開展其全球生態意識的論述。本論文聚焦於文本中描寫溪與海的兩個章節，探討花蓮在地原住民文化、河流與海洋生態，以及現代科學知識三者之間的作用關係。並進一步思考：在吳明益的自然書寫中，河流與海洋不同的地理形制有什麼樣不同的表現方式與元素？文本中傳統族群文化的詩意想像與現代科學的知性思辨相互連結後，展現出什麼樣的生態批評與具體生態觀？文本中以東臺灣水域為觀察基礎所開展的在地生態意識，如何與全球生態倫理觀相連結？此皆為本論文試圖論述之處。

This paper looks into the interrelationship between natural ecology and ethnic culture in Wu Mingyi’s So Much Water So Close to Home. It presents how Wu’s ecological observation, in particular the symbiosis between water ecology and cultural development of the aboriginals. Starting from exploring water ecology, Wu provides substantial reflections on environmental issues in Hualien through local, historical and cultural backgrounds, as well as through scientific knowledge and fieldworks in river and marine ecosystems in eastern Taiwan. Furthermore, he attempts to connect the local to the global by developing a discourse on the consciousness of global ecology based on universal values. This paper focuses on river and marine ecosystems, and explores the interrelationship between aboriginal culture, river and marine ecosystems, and modern scientific knowledge. This paper is interested in that follows: What kind of expressions and elements are used to represent different geographic forms of river and sea? What kind of eco-criticism and ecological thinking are demonstrated through the combination of traditional poetic imagination and the intellectual science? How can the locally ecological consciousness connect to the globally ecological ethics?