Within the framework of the celebration of World Environment Day, on June 5, the Ministry of the Environment presented the National Plan for Reforestation-Restoration of Forest Ecosystems 2023-2024. This activity was attended by His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader.

In his speech, the Minister of Environment, Miguel Ceara-Hatton, highlighted some important points about the protection, conservation and good management of our natural resources in our mountains.

“Today, in an increasing way, some of the Dominicans, begin to be aware of the damage caused to the territory that we occupy, urbanizing the forests and the best agricultural lands, drying up the rivers, destroying the mangroves, the biodiversity, all of it in the framework of a disorder imposed by the market without any kind of regulation”.

During the activity, details about the plan were offered, which will last for one year and with which it is expected to produce and/or acquire 20,240,000 plants, to reforest an area of ​​320,000 tasks of land in 31 provinces, generating 4,000 jobs. 88% of the species to be used are native and endemic, selected according to the natural characteristics of the site. It also includes reforestation in coastal areas and prioritized areas in five priority watersheds in identified sites in four protected areas and the rehabilitation of 15 nurseries.

Regarding the hydrographic basins, Minister Miguel Ceara-Hatton highlighted “The probability of being poor and having worse living conditions increases if you live at more than 500 meters above sea level. In other words, those who care for the upper basins that produce the water we consume in the lower basins are more likely to be poor and have worse living conditions than the residents in the lower areas. The foregoing forces us to have a clear policy of payment for environmental services and an active social policy, and in this way remunerate the work that is done in our mountains to keep the rivers”.

The President Luis Abinader, for his part, defined the basin of our rivers as “national security for the government of the Dominican Republic”, while urging all the country’s institutions to join and support this reforestation and restoration plan. of forest ecosystems.