2007 – Page 139

A major change in Dominican water use habits and practices is necessary if the country is to avoid having to resort to installing costly desalination plants in the future, as is the case in several Caribbean islands that suffer fresh water shortages. In a report in Hoy newspaper on Sunday, 12 August, environmental engineer Julio …

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The director of the Department of Watersheds at the Ministry of the Environment, Luis Espinosa, told reporters that municipalities in the east of the country and the Ministry of Public Works should work together when they are going to authorize any new construction that might lead to salt water seeping into aquifers in the eastern …

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A report circulating in Santo Domingo reveals the fact that 1.5 million Dominicans do not have good drinking water, and 400,000 do not have modern sanitation facilities. In order to remedy this deficiency by the year 2015, the country will have to spend US$3.2 billion. The report was prepared by the Ministry of the Environment, …

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The recent rains seem to have proved that the rebuilding and rerouting of the Guajimia Creek are serving their purpose. This time nobody was flooded out, according to Listin Diario, and the Civil Defense was not needed to rescue people from flooding buildings. The Dessau-Soprim Company, responsible for the clean-up of the creek bed and …

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A report in the Listin Diario today highlights how plastic is quickly replacing cash and checks in the DR. There are an estimated 1,100,000 credit card users, up from 906,686 in 2005 and 723,228 in 2004. The reporter mentions the downside is that consumers that do not pay on time are penalized with high interest …

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The footbridges along Maximo Gomez and 27 de Febrero and John F. Kennedy as well as the one in front of the Dario Contreras Hospital on the Las Americas Highway need maintenance, since they are showing high levels of disrepair and seem to collect more than their share of garbage. According to the Listin Diario, …

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The fast-paced vertical growth of the city of Santo Domingo, with several buildings over 20 floors under construction, is giving urban planners and the city council food for thought. How the city will deal with emergencies, sanitary services and environmental issues are being discussed. Officials in charge of supervising all of this construction are being …

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The historical center of Santiago de los Caballeros will soon see the rat’s nest of overhead wires disappear. The idea is to give a better overall appearance to the historical center, with its newly refurbished houses and its 1900 new lights. Governor Jose Izquierdo, the Council for the Rescue of the Historical Center and the …

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With summer winding up and the kids about to return to school, Casa de Campo brings Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso to perform at its 5,000 seat Altos de Chavon amphitheater on Friday, 17 August at 8 pm. Veloso has been called the Bob Dylan of Brazil and the Brazilian troubadour. The New York Times described …

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The time is right for people living in the DR to have a final look at their hurricane preparedness plans as the island enters the busiest part of the hurricane season in the Caribbean – end of August and September. Tropical Depression 4 has entered the Caribbean Sea, and models at this very early stage …

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