PUNTA CANA.-The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is willing to support nations affected by sargassum, said Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General.
He pointed out that there are several ideas that could resolve the situation, which affects not only the Dominican Republic but the entire world. He said that the United Nations, together with the private sector, which benefits from the beaches, will seek measures to address the crisis generated by climate change. “We will be there to invest and help; we know how difficult what you are going through is,” he affirmed.
Zurab Pololikashvili made these statements following a request from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Roberto Álvarez and David Collado, for international assistance to find a solution to the sargassum problem affecting countries in the region.
Collado and Álvarez spoke during their speech at the 18th meeting of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization, where 19 ministers from 38 nations were present, including the 35 member countries and 3 observers, as well as some 200 delegates.
Roberto Álvarez stated that sargassum is a regional crisis and this was recognized at the Association of Caribbean States.
“The first thing was to acknowledge the problem, which is an emergency, and that has been done,” the diplomat stated, indicating that there is still no solution, and the only way to find one is if all countries with the capabilities work together with technology to find a solution and collaborate with us.”.
“Many resources are needed, but we already have indicators that there are countries willing to make significant investments to find a scientific solution,” Álvarez emphasized.
He emphasized that an estimated 30 million tons of sargassum are reaching the Caribbean coast this year. “That’s unsustainable. You can see it on our beaches, how it rots. It generates odors from the chemicals, sulfates, and methane, which are harmful to health,” he stated, indicating that a solution must be found quickly.
For his part, David Collado also asked for help from international organizations to manage this crisis, after advocating that developed countries study the possibility of innovation and facilitate technologies to investigate sargassum and the possibility of generating an economically useful resource.
He pointed out that without sustainability there will be no tourism in the future, since after the pandemic the consumer became more demanding than usual.
Meanwhile
, the business sector continues to seek alternatives, said Sustainable Tourism Ambassador Frank Rainieri ahead of the start of the meeting.
He pointed out that sargassum is a problem that requires short-, medium-, and long-term solutions. The quickest way is to create barriers, followed by collection at sea, and thirdly, to find an economic benefit from it, he explained.
For his part, Jake Kheel, vice president of the Puntacana Group, stated that sargassum, more than an issue, should be seen as "a crisis" for the tourism sector, similar to that of Covid-19.
He said that the Punta Cana Group has sent nearly 100 tons of sargassum seaweed to Filandia so that entrepreneurs can transform it into useful materials. "Sargassum is as strong, serious, and dangerous as Covid-19," he stated.
Source: El Día
