Man and Biosphere Committee Sworn In

Man and Biosphere Committee Sworn In
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 06/21/2011

UNESCO representative in the Dominican Republic, Alberto Hernández, was sworn in to the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Committee which will coordinate the conservation and sustainable development management of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve.

This committee will also manage the technical and financial support for the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve,…

Among the other members sworn in were representatives of the Ministries of Environment, Culture, Education and Tourism.

The MAB Committee was created by Decree No. 212-10 and is presided over by the Environment Ministry and represented by government institutions, municipal governments, academic universities and civil organizations.

This committee will also manage the technical and financial support for the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve and will supervise and monitor the fulfilling of objectives agreed upon in terms of the established structure of the project.

Other member institutions of the MAB Committee include the Ministries of Environment, Tourism, Culture and Education in addition to Yvonne Arias, president of the Jaragua Group; Oneida Féliz, president of the Association of Municipalities of the Enriquillo Region; Nuris Medrano, president of the Committee for Local Ecotourism Initiatives; Father Antonio Fernández, director of the Foundation for Integral Development of the Communities of Pedernales.

In addition, Edwin Carrasco, of the Enriquillo Community Ecotourism Network; Father Cecilio Espina, Rector of the Catholic Tech University of Barahona and Julio Vargas, of the Strategic Alliance of Barahona.

Words of introduction and the swearing in were done by José Manuel Mateo, director de Biodiversity and Wildlife in the Ministry of Environment. Miguel Melo, provincial director of Barahona, showed a video with images of the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve.

Until 2009, management of Biosphere Reserve was concentrated in the Environment Ministry. But now with the creation of the Provincial Offices, a decentralization process got underway and the Provincial Office of Barahona is responsible for follow-up of the entire management process.