Role of Civil Society in Protecting the DR's Environment

Jay Pedro

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Jan 10, 2002
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Tordok said:
Dwald is right. Corruption knows no boundaries, and the environment is one of its biggest victims.
This corrupt government (not the 1st, and surely won't be the last of its kind) does not listen to its own environmental minister and is willing to defy the laws of the country just so more folks can come to get their suntans and eat a few coconuts. As long as the businesspeople pay their bribes on time, national parks are not necessarily off limits for development. Throw in a few tax breaks to help develop this priority industry and we are selling our scant natural resources to the highest bidder. A few government officials get rich. The hotel owners get richer. The infelices that work at these places remain pretty much poor and watch their ecology deteriorate. Where are the environmental impact studies for this or any other beach resort projects? Are these things openly debated? Is anything safe anymore from the people who can care less about the long-term economic sustainability of a small country?


-Tordok

As founders and consultants of the Comite Costa Norte Pro Cumplimiento de las Leyes Ambientales (North Coast Coast Committe for Compliance with the Environmental Laws), we have helped Mr. Moya Pons and his people at Gestion Ambiental win battles against three power plants (Keppel-Fels, Puerto Plata de Electricidad and Termo-Alcyon) in 2001. These plants for a total of 416 megawatt were all planned in addition to the pollution of the already existing 4 plants of nearly 300 megawatt in the Bay of Puerto Plata.

We put together a coalition of interested parties in the most affected communities (Cofresi and Costambar), got help from the World Bank by buying and studying their rules, studied the environmental impact studies of the plants and wrote detailed (up to 7 pages) letters to Gestion Ambiental, explaining the reasons, point by point, for the environmental impossibility of those plants.

Not only did Gestion Ambiental write us a letter of thanks, but they also invited us to the public hearings for the presentation of the environmental impact studies. Fortunately all of the plants were stopped in their tracks, after some already had approval from central government and provincial leaders.

What is needed to support the decent people in government is grassroots citizen involvement, something we have learned during our years in the United States. Every one of us can be the spark for such groups, even if it costs time and energy (over 500 unpaid hours in our case), but it is worth the effort.

If you would like to have our input for similar activities please contact:

Jay Waldthausen
Costambar, Puerto Plata
tel 970-7120 e-mail: w@codetel.net.do
 
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mountainfrog

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Dec 8, 2003
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How Can the Saman? Desaster Be Solved?

@ Jay
I am afraid that very powerful people and influencial bodies will be needed to solve the toxic waste problem in Saman?.
What can be done by "ordinary people"?
Froggy
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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As many times as I have witnessed or heard of environmental abuses happening in the DR, it never ceases to sadden me to hear of yet another case, particularly those in beautiful areas of such importance to the tourism sector such as Samana.

But I am quite heartened to learn that people in the DR are finally getting mad about it and organizing to oppose such abuses. Thanks for your contribution, Jay. I welcome in this Forum any reporting of such problems as long as it does not degenerate into pure rumor-mongering, smear campaigns and soapboxing without substance.

Your Environment Forum Moderator :glasses:
 
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Keith R

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Jan 1, 2002
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Which NGOs Are Actually Fighting the Good Fight?

Jay's post raised an issue I have been meaning to start a thread on but hadn't gotten to yet:

What NGOs are truly active in environmental projects and campaigns in the DR, and how effective are they (and on which issues)?

Jay has given us an example of one local group (in essence a vecinos group, as I understand him) which already had an impact. In another post on Juan Dolio, MommC talks of another local group forming to fight a specific project. Who knows of other examples?

Is it always the local, single-issue groups which are having a positive impact? Or are there effective nationally-organized ones, or even local branches or associates of the international Big Boys (Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Conservation International, WWF, etc.) that we might applaud?

Just as ikmportant, which ones seem to talk alot (and ask for contributions) but really do little?