Ecoacción Boca Chica, a project to create jobs and rescue ecotourism areas

The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (Aerodom) and the Fundación Verde Profundo (FVP), presented Ecoacción Boca Chica, a project that seeks to boost the economy and create jobs through an economic model based on sustainable tourism and conservation of coastal-marine ecosystems that allows the inclusion of fishermen and other community stakeholders.

The project, which is being carried out within the framework of the Ideas for a Green Recovery Program in Central America and the Dominican Republic, uses the marine ecosystem rehabilitation interventions already carried out by Fundación Verde Profundo as tourist attractions.

According to the communiqué, the advance of environmental degradation in the area has had a direct impact on the considerable reduction of the per capita income of its inhabitants. Aware of this situation and in search of subsistence for their families, they have found it necessary to over-exploit the region’s remaining natural resources, despite their knowledge of the environmental damage this may cause.

The event was held at the Fundación Verde Profundo and was attended by José Ramón Reyes, Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources; Ángel Luis Franco, Director of Fishing Resources of Codopesca; María de León Castro, Vice Mayor of Boca Chica; Kathrin Russner, Director of the Regional Ideas for a Green Recovery Program implemented by GIZ; Mónika Infante Henríquez, Executive of Aerodom; as well as representatives of Politur and members of the Tourism Cluster of Boca Chica.

Kathrin Russner, explained that the objective of the German Cooperation is to promote, through this alliance with Aerodom and the Fundación Verde Profundo, the development of sustainable economic activities that generate or maintain sources of employment for the inhabitants of the area and that offer a space for the formation and development of the community with the use of alternative means and sources of subsistence that do not harm the environment.

Likewise, Mónika Infante Henríquez, explained that due to its close ties with tourism and the proximity of its operations at the José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport of the Americas to Boca Chica, Aerodom decided to join forces in search of a collaboration that would generate a positive impact on sustainability in line with its commitment to achieve zero net emissions by the year 2050.

In turn, Tasha Gough, director of Fundación Verde Profundo detailed the coastal marine recovery and restoration work carried out since 2017 in the area, which has allowed the creation of these new potential sources of income based on eco-tourism. Through the formalization of ecotourism routes and the training of guides and facilitators, the development of the entire value chain of these services will be stimulated. It will also benefit other actors in the value chain linked to ecotourism services, with existing jobs.