Three Caribbean countries work together to preserve biodiversity

Emanuel Callejas A.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - On 24 March, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba ratified their agreement on the immediate implementation of policies to conserve biodiversity in their countries, reported El Informador.

Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, the Dominican environment minister, announced that the agreement establishing the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) will be used by the three countries to help design strategies and take practical steps to protect the environment and natural resources.

The new strategy was drawn up at the CBC ministerial conference in Santo Domingo, which, according to EFE, was attended by ministers and other official representatives of the three countries, as well as development agencies, and representatives from the United Nations and other world bodies.

In the conference report, Listín Diario explained that the CBC, which is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is a 1,600km-long corridor connecting scenic areas, ecosystems, habitats, and cultures. It includes 46 protected areas in Cuba, 11 in the Dominican Republic, and four in Haiti. The project is also being supported by NGOs and local universities.

El Caribe reported that the opening of the 15-day conference coincided with World Forestry Day and World Water Day. The event is also being attended by specialists who will be monitoring the performance of existing co-operation agreements. Jamaica is present as a permanent observer for environmental policy implementation.

During the meeting, Haiti's environmental minister, Jean Marie Claude Germain, talked about the progress made by both his country and the Dominican Republic: "We are working together on many worthwhile programmes and projects, such as protection of water sources, forest conservation, the education of our peasant farmers, and the search for solutions to the long-standing problem of deforestation on our common border".

Fernandez Mirabal also underscored the importance of the trilateral agreements, particularly those involving its neighbour, Haiti. "Specifically, we have been conducting programmes with Haiti to protect the Artibonito river basin, which straddles both countries," he said. "Seventy-five Dominican families and the same number of Haitian families are involved."

According to EFE, delegates granted special status to 61 protected areas in the three countries and discussed ways to encourage investment with a focus on human development in the communities inside the corridor.

The initiative, which addresses 'immediate needs', came about thanks to pressure from environmentalists to do something to protect the ecosystem and its scarce natural resources. Fernandez Mirabal said that more meetings have been scheduled over the coming months to evaluate the CBC project and to involve more of the Caribbean island nations.

Source: http://infosurhoy.com

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