4th stopover in San Domingo
Here is a summary of the highlights of this Dominican stopover, which included field surveys on waste management networks, conferences, meetings, workshops and school visits. The issue of plastic waste in the Dominican Republic, and the passage of hurricane Irma ? Summaries in text and images.
On August 23, 2017, the ship Race for Water docked at the military port of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to the valuable support of the Dominican Army, the Swiss Embassy, and the Swiss Dominican Chamber of Business and Tourism, the Race for Water Odyssey team carried out numerous field actions. A stopover interspersed with Hurricane Irma, whose loss of lives, local damages, and environmental disaster we deplore. A terrible event which the increasing plastic pollution only darkens the picture, with 500,000 tons of plastic waste per year produced in the Dominican Republic. A situation on which the Foundation is trying to bring solutions.
ACT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC :
Project under development in the DOMINGO SAVIO district, which is particularly affected by the problem of plastic waste. Learn more +
Investigation of the waste management network
“Santo Domingo’s military port is located where the city’s two rivers flow into the oceans,” explains Camille Rollin. During heavy rains, we noticed that the number of wastes flowing into the sea increased considerably. Part of the team then sailed up the Ozama River called “Rio” to investigate…
MILITARY WELCOME AND SECURITY
The Race for Water ship was graciously invited to dock in the military port of Santo Domingo. A warm welcome from Commander General Sr. Miguel Pena Acosta with the benevolence of Lieutenant Aneudi Villaneuva, who had been seconded specially for the Race for Water Foundation.
Conferences
Barely arrived in the Dominican Republic, the Race for Water Odyssey was at the heart of the “Think Innovation: waste and energy for sustainability» conference. With over 150 experts, this cycle of conferences is organized every year in Santo Domingo by the Dominican-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and brings together a panel of local and international specialists in the field of energy and new technologies.
More than 100 scolars on board
Throughout this stopover more than 100 high school students went aboard the ship to discuss the issue of plastics and the preservation of oceans. When Hurricane Irma disrupted the program and prevented some schools from coming on board, the Foundation came to them. Camille and Frédéric went to Las Terrenas in the north of the country, where the ship was scheduled to spend the last week of its stopover. They met some local players in the field of waste management and energy. They also unexpectedly visited the students at the French school who had just learned they would not be able to board the world’s largest solar catamaran. “It was great, the kids kept asking a lot of questions, they feel concerned about the environment in which they live, it’s very motivating!” says Camille.
Workshop in the midst of a crisis
At each stop, the ” plastic waste to energy” workshop organized aboard the Race for Water ship, bring together local players in waste and energy management. “During this workshop, we came in at the time of a crisis. The city of Santo Domingo’s landfill was blocked by its managers who demanded a price increase, the government had intervened, and a trial was under way,” says Camille Rollin.
