[DR1] Rich and poor sack Green Belt

[NewsWhore]

Nearly 40% of the area that is supposed to be preserved as Santo Domingo's northern Green Belt has been affected by housing developments, commercial installations and industrial parks. Many of the new constructions are in open violation of the regulations governing the 150 square kilometers of the Green Belt. As the director general of the National Council of Urban Affairs (CONAU), architect Omar Rancier told reporters that the two greatest predators of the area are at the two extremes of the economic spectrum: the very rich and the very poor. The Green Belt is supposed to be the major ecological resource for the four municipalities that share its borders. According to Rancier, the main problem is the lack of a set of rules to govern the use of the lands designated as the Green Belt. As population pressure grows, particularly in Santo Domingo where 40% of the Dominican population lives, the need for clear lines of control are urgently needed in order to rescue the area. As reported in Hoy newspaper, the CONAU official called for increased protection of the remaining green areas in a clear and orderly fashion.

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