Environment ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic met on Thursday, 21 January 2021 in the border city of Comendador in Elías Piña province to sign a joint declaration with nine points that focus on the environment. The effort seeks to reforest the border zone, and ensure the protection and sustainable use of the basins of the Artibonito, Libón, Pedernales and Masacre transboundary rivers.
Environments ministers Orlando Jorge Mera signed for the Dominican Republic and Abner Septembre for Haiti. Both ministers committed to develop joint plans and actions for the conservation of the natural resources of both countries and to fight against the adverse effects of climate change.
Likewise, Jorge Mera and Septembre agreed to develop plans to conserve transboundary protected areas and fight against the illicit trafficking of flora and fauna species.
They also discussed the need to increase current scholarship programs, information exchange, technical training in the forestry area, and fire management programs for forest firefighters, park rangers and forest guards.
The ministers pledged to establish the basis for seeking sustainable cooking fuel alternatives to reduce the intensive use of illegally obtained firewood and charcoal.
The ministers agreed to draft a work plan that includes issues such as the island’s water security, reduction of desertification, reduction of vulnerability to climate change and risk management, to initiate joint actions and agree on a common position as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in international forums.
In addition, both parties’ commissions will draft a binational environmental agreement that will strengthen bilateral actions to address the border’s environmental degradation, which hinders human and economic development in the area.
Within the Dominican-Haitian Bilateral Joint Commission’s environmental commission framework, the parties will assess progress made on the agreed on points every six months and determine the next steps to be taken.
“There are no borders when it comes to protecting our common home, our mother earth and natural resources,” said Minister Orlando Jorge Mera.
The meeting is a follow-up to the joint declaration issued on 10 January 2021 by Presidents Luis Abinader and Jovenel Moïse.
Minister Jorge Mera was joined by the Deputy Minister of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Environment, Milagros De Camps; the Deputy Minister of Forestry Resources, Fernanda de León and the Deputy Ministers of Soil and Water, Juan Fulvio Ureña and of Environmental Management, Eduardo Julia.
Anselmo Muñiz, Director of Strategic Studies and Analysis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, was also present.
Also present at the meeting was the Dominican ambassador to Haiti, Farruk Miguel and his Haitian counterpart in the Dominican Republic, Smith Agustin, as well as other officials from the neighboring country’s Ministry of the Environment.
Read more:
Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Environment Haiti
Ministry of Foreign Relations
DR1 News
25 January 2021