Biodiversity in the Dominican Republic

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Biodiversity in the Dominican Republic

• A vision for 2025

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IPEP
Improving Policies for Environmental Protection
Project Objectives

• Institutional Strenghtening Public Sector
  SEMARENA

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IPEP
Improving Policies for Environmental Protection
Project Objectives

• Civil Society Participation in Environmental
  protection

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Biodiversity Definition

• The diversity of living organisms in a given
  space.
• Three levels to definition
• Ecosystems Habitats and communities of species
• Species Variety and abundance of flora and fauna
• Genes Sum total of the genetic information of
  plants, animals and micro-organisms.

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Biodiversity Importance

• It is critical for assuring the existence and
  permanence of human populations.
• Humans must sustain biodiversity to sustain
  themselves.
• Rich biodiversity in DR contributing factor to
  Caribbean Region considered as one of the most
  biodiversity rich region of the globe

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Biodiversity in the DR

• Most telling characteristics
• High level of endemism
• High vulnerability of extinction
• Since the Dominican Republic is a part of an
  island these characteristics are particularly
  noticeable.

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Biodiversity in the DR
Sources CIBIMA 1994, SEA/DVS 1990, PNUD 2000
CEPNET/BID, Liogier 1978, CIBIMA 1994.
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Biodiversity in the DR
Source N. Ramírez 2001.
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Vision for Biodiversity

• What is it?
• A reference instrument
• A dream
• The Best Case Scenario

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Vison for Biodiversity

• Why have one?
• Define sector policies
• Guide to development of Sectoral Law
• set the base, set the course (marcar el Norte
  )
• Develop an Educational Instrument (prepare the
  road for Law)

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Vison Our approach

• Snapshot of Biodiversity in 2025
• Flora
• Fauna
• Habitat
• OK, What steps to take?
• Policies
• Programs
• Conservation
• Development (Sustainable)
• Education

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The Process

• Participation (first, last, always)
• Public Sector
• SEMARN
• Industry Commerce
• Municipalities
• Zoo
• Botanical Gardens
• Aquarium
• Private Sector
• Hotels
• Commercial wildlife husbandry
• Bird hunters Association
• Ecotourism Operators
• NGOs Universities

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The Process (Cont.)

• Workshop sessions (many)
• Biodiversity Protected Areas Subsecretary
  Technical Committee (Drafting)

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By the year 2025 to realize (achieve) the
sustainable use of the diverse biodiversity
components (genetic, material,species and
ecosystems), based on knowledge to contribute to
sustainable, economic development, the protection
and preservation of species, and habitat, within
an efficient legal and institutional framework,
with the participation of the diverse sectors of
society.
Vision
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Vision

• Action axes
• Habitat conservation
• Genetic material
• Protection of threatened species
• Use of Biodiversity
• Control of Exotic Species

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Habitat Conservation

• To have ecosystems in protected areas and
  outside of protected areas that guarantee the
  conservation and growth of native , endemic and
  migratory flora and fauna species.
• Sustainable use of these species
• This implies Sustainable Management of the
  Protected Area System

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Genetic Material

• To realize the conservation and sustainable use
  of genetic resources, which contributes to the
  social and economic development of a society
  that is conscious of its importance and benefits
  they provide.
• To realize this end game in accordance with
  national laws, international agreements and
  respect for Dominican national sovereignty.

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Conservation of Threatened Species

• To achieve a significant reduction in the level
  and magnitude of threat to species, both flora
  and fauna, in the Dominican Republic while
  simultaneously increasing the genetic viability
  of all species in the long-term.

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Use of Biodiversity

• To achieve the rational, sustainable use of
  bio-diversity components. A use based on
• Scientific investigation let science work and
  help direct human behavior.
• A supportive legal framework (a policy regime in
  place).
• A populace that is aware of the importance of
  bio-diversity to socioeconomic well-being.
• A populace that is supportive of the sustainable
  use of biodiversity resources.

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Control of Exotic Species

• Establish and enforce mechanisms to govern
  commercial transactions of exotic species through
  criteria based on
• Research
• Monitoring
• Interinstitutional coordination
• Environmental education
• Civil society participation
• Enforcement mechanisms must assure the
  populations of native species (especially endemic
  ones) are not affected significantly by the
  presence or transit of exotic species.

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By the year 2025 to realize (achieve) the
sustainable use of the diverse biodiversity
components (genetic, material,species and
ecosystems), based on the knowledge to contribute
to sustainable, economic development, the
protection and preservation of species, and
habitat, within an efficient legal and
institutional framework, with the participation
of the diverse sectors of society.
Vision
Action axes
Use of Biodiversity
Conservation of threatened species
Genetic Material
Conservation of habitats
Control of Exotic Species
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Relations with other Sustainable Development
Policies

• Land Zoning
• Forest Management
• Goods derived from Biotic Resources
• Goods and Services derived from Non-biotic
  Resources
• Environmental Services Market
• Urban Expansion

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Zoning

• To carry out
• Use of Land, Water and Air
• Productive activities
• Needs of Socio-economic Development
• In harmony with Biodiversity.

Sustainable Development Economic Growth with
simultaneous protection of the natural Resources
base - biodiversity
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Forest Management

• Genetic Material Reserves
• Reservoirs of valuable environmental services
• Tie development to the conservation of soil,
  water and biodiversity

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Goods derived from Biotic Resources

• Conduct agricultural, livestock and fishing
  activities in sustainable ways.

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Goods and Services derived from Non-biotic
Resources

• Close articulation between biodiversity
  conservation needs and other activities such as
• Metalic and non metalic mining
• Water for human consumption, agricultural
  production and power generation.
• Special attention should be paid in the
  application of these criteria in the objective
  analysis, definition and management of protected
  areas.

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Environmental Services Market

• The growth of Tourism is the second major
  biodiversity threat, especially coastal /marine
  ecological niches.

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Urban Expansion

• The Dominican Republic has become an urban
  country.
• Accordingly, urban expansion is threatening
  biodiversity, specially
• Wetlands
• Water sources.
• Aquifer salinization
• Urban expansion must consider the impact on the
  biodiversity, in order to achieve a sustainable
  and harmonic management.

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Vision
Relationship to other Policies
By the year 2025 to realize (achieve) the
sustainable use of the diverse biodiversity
components (genetic, material,species and
ecosystems), based on the knowledge to contribute
to sustainable, economic development, the
protection and preservation of species, and
habitat, within an efficient legal and
institutional framework, with the participation
of the diverse sectors of society.
Goods and Services Production
Urban Expansions
Forest Management
Environmental Services Market
Goods from Biotic Resources
Land Zoning
Protected Areas
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Public Participation

• One of the most effective ways to manage
  biodiversity is through the active participation
  of all the social sectors. Transparency from the
  definition of the policies through the evaluation
  and adjustment of the actions implemented will
  assure the sustainability of the process.

Fuente www.helvetas.org.do
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Public Sector Role

• The Dominican Government is the responsible of
  the public well being and the national heritage
• Corresponds to SEMARENA to establish a proper
  institutional and legal framework, and to define
  the role and ways of participation of the
  different social actors.
• Local Governments are the responsible for proper
  use of territory and resources.

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Private Sector Role

• Well defined roles and permanent, consistent
  rules, favor the active participation of the
  productive sectors both national and
  international on the research and sustainable use
  of the national biodiversity.

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Communities Role

• As users and beneficiaries of the biodiversity
  components, communities should participate in an
  active way on the proper use and management of
  the biodiversity, in order to contribute on the
  constant improvement of their living conditions,
  in terms sucha as
• Helath
• Housing
• Energy
• Food
• Education
• Recreation

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Communities Role (Cont.)

• To generate empowerment within the communities,
  in order to contribute to the institutional and
  social strenghtening of the country.

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Communities Role (Cont.)

• This means a change in the actual paradigm,
  based on an unilateral management, toward a
  shared management, with decisions making process
  based on objective information and transparent
  paricipation.

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Thank You!