SANTO DOMINGO - Senator Rafael Barón Duluc Rijo, representing the province of La Altagracia, presented a resolution to declare the Punta Cana-Bávaro tourist area a "high national priority" in terms of land-use planning and environmental sustainability.
The measure arises in response to serious ecological and structural challenges that threaten the future viability of this tourist area, which faces environmental and planning challenges that demand immediate action.
“If we do not act decisively now, we will be mortgaging the future of tourism, ecosystems, and the quality of life of local communities,” Senator Duluc stated during the presentation of his proposal.
In their view, the main problems facing the area include:
• Massive influx of sargassum: a phenomenon that damages marine ecosystems and affects beach quality, imposing high costs on the tourism industry.
• Deficiencies in solid waste and wastewater management: the historical lack of adequate infrastructure has led to groundwater contamination, damage to coastal rivers, and health risks for communities.
• Unplanned urban growth: development without coherent planning has exceeded the installed capacity of basic services such as drinking water, sewage, roads, and electricity, generating congestion and a decline in the quality of local life.
-Pressures on natural resources and biodiversity: uncontrolled urban expansion can fragment habitats, generate loss of native flora and fauna, and increase vulnerability to climate change.
According to Senator Duluc, these challenges can only be met with a coordinated and comprehensive state intervention that combines territorial regulation policies, local institutional strengthening, public financing, incentives for sustainable investment, and community participation.
“This approach is not new to his administration. On previous occasions, the senator has insisted that progress cannot be measured solely by economic growth, but also by the ability to preserve the environment. He has advocated for tourism projects to respect rigorous environmental standards, for local governments to improve their territorial control capacity, and for existing regulations to be applied transparently and efficiently,” a press release highlights.
Senate committee meeting
The press release states that the Senate's Commission on Municipal Development and Non-Governmental Organizations has begun analyzing the resolution that declares territorial planning, environmental sustainability, and the comprehensive development of Punta Cana-Bávaro to be of high priority.
He explained that during the committee session, chaired by Senator Aneudy Ortiz Sajiun, technical proposals and demands for citizen inclusion were heard. Senator Ortiz announced that, to further the debate, they will invite the proponent of the initiative to explain his motivations at an upcoming meeting.
Also present at the meeting were Senators Daniel Rivera (Santiago), Augusto Velázquez (Pedernales), María Mercedes Ortiz (Hermanas Mirabal) and Félix Bautista (San Juan).
