Economy, Planning and Development Minister Temistocles Montas says the government is making good progress on a bill for the Land Use in the Dominican Republic and could present it to Congress once it reopens on 27 February 2015. Montas made the announcement during a workshop on “Ordering the National Land Use System in the Dominican Republic” held in Santo Domingo yesterday, Thursday 29 January 2015. The workshop was aimed at providing the finishing touches to the bill. The land use bill will be sent to Congress together with a Unique Planning Regions Bill that establishes a land use scheme.
Montas said that the main risks associated with inadequate land use include urbanization of farmland, as well as an increase in inequality and poverty in some regions compared to others. He said that to achieve development as planned in the National Development Strategy’s vision for 2030, sustainable land use must be planned and established.
Minister of Environment Bautista Rojas Gomez expressed his optimism that the bill would be studied and approved during the next legislature. He said that the Loma Miranda case has stimulated the government’s interest in passing a land use bill. Rojas said the Land Use Bill was a vital instrument for the country’s development, which would guarantee the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental services for present and future generations.
He said that the environmental problems currently affecting the country are linked to a lack of planning in land use, such as a reduction in river capacity, influenced by the impact of land use and non-regulated activities in sensitive areas, as well as deforestation due to the lack of incentives for sustainable management of areas with forestry potential. The minister also mentioned the destruction and degradation of natural ecosystems, air, water and land pollution, solid waste accumulation, and human settlements in unsuitable areas.
http://www.7dias.com.do/portada/2015/01/29/i181217_rojas-gomez-atribuye-males-ambientales-del-pais-falta-planes-ordenamiento-territorial.html