Academy of Science against Cibao-Sur Highway

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican Academy of Science has announced its opposition to the construction of a highway linking the Cibao Valley with the south west of the country. The Academy said that the highway that would cross the Central Mountains would affect the Jose del Carmen Ramirez and Armando Bermudez National Parks, an area known as the "Mother of Waters" because so many rivers have sources in the region. The Academy says that it is incomprehensible that an area so vital to water production should be threatened, since such a project would affect the area's hydrological balance. In a press release, the Academy says, "The construction of this highway would affect a very vital resource needed for agriculture, tourism, industry and other productive sectors." The scientific community emphasized the fact that the Central Mountains are a basic natural enclave, which if not protected, could affect life on the island. The statement says that the highway would degrade the existing forests that protect the watersheds of the biggest rivers, and this degradation would provoke more runoff, increased flooding and thus affect the population living downstream. The risks for forest fires would also increase due to increased traffic in the area, where a single cigarette butt could cause havoc. The Academy also expressed concern about new human settlement in the area, which also threatens the watersheds. The scientists also note that no major crops require such a construction for such limited commercial use. Finally, the academics and scientists make it known that there are already four highways connecting the two areas, none of which are in good condition, so all that is needed is to rebuild one or all of them, which would not cost as much as building a new road. They called for a rejection of the proposal.

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