Coral reefs provide Dominican Republic with benefits valued at US $ 1,140 million per year

Bienvenido a WordPress. Esta es tu primera entrada. Edítala o bórrala, ¡luego empieza a escribir!

With the aim of returning to biodiversity the value it deserves, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, together with the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), the Dominican Coastal Restoration Consortium (CDRC) and the German cooperation for development, GIZ, presented the study “Identification and valuation of ecosystem services of coral reefs”.

The information issued to Infotur Dominicano, the analysis conducted provides information on the economic value of coral reefs for Punta Cana, Bayahibe and Samaná, based on four direct benefits obtained by these regions thanks to these ecosystems, such as: beach for recreation , reef fishing, recreational diving and research; the results indicate that the three zones together perceive about 1,140 million dollars a year from these activities.

“This study highlights the importance of the reefs for the economic activity of these sites and for the income of the country in general and also calls attention to all sectors benefited to invest in its restoration and protection,” said Svenja Paulino, director of the Biodiversity and Business Program in Central America and the Dominican Republic of GIZ.

Within the data of the study it is exposed that more than two million tourists visit the beaches of the aforementioned sites annually and for recreational purposes, a factor that represents 98% of the total value of these services.

According to the Atlas of coral reefs of Spalding et. al., 2001, Dominican Republic possesses 610 km2 of reefs; the sum of the three areas of the study represents 63.8 km2, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the coverage.

In addition, it highlights the transcendental role played by coral reefs by providing not only economic benefits such as those mentioned, but also physical protection to the coasts against the impact of the waves, the stability of the beaches thanks to the biogenic sand, as well as a large structural diversity of marine habitats and species.

The development and presentation of the study will contribute to the conservation of the coral reefs and to the establishment of a financial mechanism that allows the investment of the private sector in the services provided by the reef ecosystems.

The development and presentation of this study is part of the support provided by the GIZ to the Dominican Republic for the development of an innovative financial mechanism for the protection of coral reefs, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).