NewsWhore
05-09-2006, 02:10 PM
Spanish environmental consultant Francesc Giro has complained that he was fired from the World Tourism Organization (WTO) for allegedly putting in writing a warning that the Dominican Republic would make a serious mistake by building hotels in the Bahia de las Aguilas area because they would degrade the fragile natural resources of the park area. According to a report in Hoy Newspaper, Giro does not regret having written the report and from now on will do everything possible to let the public know what is happening with the Spanish and French hotel promoters in the DR. "The WTO has decided to do without my services as a consequence of my article about the Jaragua National Park and has erased my resume from their database. They have also informed the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) of this decision", said Giro in a letter to archaeologist Adolfo Lopez, who has been a spokesman for the local tourism and environmentalist movement that advocates building hotels outside of the park and using the park areas for day visits only.
Giro came to the DR last year to prepare a report on the feasibility of building hotels in Bahia de las Aguilas, at the request of the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism, nevertheless, never released Giro's report on Bahia de las Aguilas to the public. In his report, Giro established that the ecosystems in the Jaragua National Park, where the bay is located, are extremely fragile due to the aridity of the area and lack of potable water, and recommended only the installation of access infrastructure, particularly the opening of roads and trails, that should be carried out with the greatest care. He also stated that the area should not include hotels or housing developments.
Giro was participating in the 8th meeting of members of the Convention for Biological Diversity of the United Nations in Brazil when news reached him that the Fernandez government had announced in Paris it was pleased that French investors were proposing to build hotels in the area. Giro sent a report again expressing his opposition as an environmental expert. "The Dominican Republic would be making a serious mistake if the protection of the park were reduced to justify tourism development that could perfectly take place outside the park," he stated in the report, "Sustainable Tourism in Bahia de las Aguilas?" addressed to the Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas. He stressed that the park needs to be enjoyed by Dominicans and visitors alike, and for that access, washroom facilities and docks needed to be improved. "Sustainable tourism is not about justifying all, on the base of corrective and compensatory measures," he stated, highlighting that sometimes it is necessary to say "no." Giro is director of the Fundacio Natura, a Catalunya, Spain-based non-governmental agency.
http://www.fundacionatura.org/eng/default.htm
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#14)
Giro came to the DR last year to prepare a report on the feasibility of building hotels in Bahia de las Aguilas, at the request of the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism, nevertheless, never released Giro's report on Bahia de las Aguilas to the public. In his report, Giro established that the ecosystems in the Jaragua National Park, where the bay is located, are extremely fragile due to the aridity of the area and lack of potable water, and recommended only the installation of access infrastructure, particularly the opening of roads and trails, that should be carried out with the greatest care. He also stated that the area should not include hotels or housing developments.
Giro was participating in the 8th meeting of members of the Convention for Biological Diversity of the United Nations in Brazil when news reached him that the Fernandez government had announced in Paris it was pleased that French investors were proposing to build hotels in the area. Giro sent a report again expressing his opposition as an environmental expert. "The Dominican Republic would be making a serious mistake if the protection of the park were reduced to justify tourism development that could perfectly take place outside the park," he stated in the report, "Sustainable Tourism in Bahia de las Aguilas?" addressed to the Coalition for the Defense of Protected Areas. He stressed that the park needs to be enjoyed by Dominicans and visitors alike, and for that access, washroom facilities and docks needed to be improved. "Sustainable tourism is not about justifying all, on the base of corrective and compensatory measures," he stated, highlighting that sometimes it is necessary to say "no." Giro is director of the Fundacio Natura, a Catalunya, Spain-based non-governmental agency.
http://www.fundacionatura.org/eng/default.htm
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#14)