Permanent Forum for the Sustainable Management of Soil is Formed

Permanent Forum for the Sustainable Management of Soil is Formed
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 10/4/2011

In a meeting of important individuals connected to environmental protection issues, the Permanent Forum for the Sustainable Management of Soil was introduced. The Forum is comprised a group of consultants created to advise and inform decision makers on issues connected to the causes of soil degradation.

John Ronald Deep Ford, FAO representative in the Dominican Republic, talked about the Global Alert for the Degradation of Soil, …

The launch of the Forum took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and was attended by the following officials: Brigadier General Valerio García Reyes, Deputy Minister of Environment in representation of Environment Minister Ernesto Reyna Alcántara; Pedro García, from the Office of Soil and Water; Janina Segura from the Center for the Development of Agriculture and Forestry and José Nova of the Council for Agriculture and Forestry Research.

John Ronald Deep Ford, FAO representative in the Dominican Republic, talked about the Global Alert for the Degradation of Soil. Diógenes Cubero Fernández gave the keynote speech on the central topic of the conference: Strategies for the Prevention and Mitigation of Soil Degradation in the Tropics.

The Forum seeks to support the sustainability of soil resources and, to that end, will promote knowledge and application of laws and rules related to preserving soil. The goal of the Forum will include the sustainable management of soil in the Dominican Republic, to serve as a mechanism to disseminate information and encourage debate over the concept of sustainable development and to propose actions that pursue the improvement of the quality of life of the country´s population through citizen participation in general.

In addition, the Forum will make suggestions on the inclusion of sustainable soil management in the country´s plans, programs and projects that form part of the national development strategy.