Carib Scope

分类： environment

  • What stage is the fire in the Sierra de Bahoruco at?

    What stage is the fire in the Sierra de Bahoruco at?

    In the mountainous forest region of Sierra de Bahoruco, Pedernales, the multi-agency forest firefighting teams that have been working around the clock to contain a large wildfire in the Pelempito-Aceitillar corridor have reached a critical operational milestone: as of this Saturday, all active containment work has concluded, and crews have shifted into the mop-up and surveillance phase of the response.

    This milestone comes after teams completed planned containment lines and controlled backfires Friday night, operations that were briefly adjusted by unexpected overnight weather. Gerónimo Abreu, head of the Dominican Republic’s National Fire Management Program, confirmed that light overnight rainfall forced minor shifts to the original operational timeline, but crews did not pause progress. Firefighters persisted in securing and extending containment lines through the overnight hours, wrapping up the final section of line by mid-afternoon Friday before carrying out the last of the planned backfires to starve the main blaze of fuel.

    Early morning damage and containment assessments carried out Saturday confirmed the wildfire is fully contained, with all operational resources now redirected to extinguishing remaining hot spots across the affected area and continuously monitoring containment lines for any signs of spread. As of Saturday’s assessment, the entire westernmost sector of the fire zone is completely extinguished. In the northern zone near Hoyo de Pelempito, however, a small number of lingering hot spots continue to produce smoke. This residual activity is tied to the region’s mixed forest composition, where dense accumulations of organic plant material can continue to smolder for days even after the main fire is contained.

    In the southern sector of the fire zone, response teams maintain round-the-clock surveillance and active cleanup work within the established containment perimeter. Crews are conducting on-the-ground checks to confirm that both human-built containment lines and natural geographic barriers are holding, eliminating any remaining unextinguished fuel within the controlled area.

    For the remainder of this mop-up phase, most deployed personnel will be focused on the northern and southeastern sectors of the fire zone. Crews will continue cleanup work, conduct regular inspections of all containment lines, and treat any hot spots that could potentially reignite under warm, dry conditions. Response teams will remain stationed in the area through the entirety of the mop-up and surveillance phase, only demobilizing once all cleanup tasks are fully completed and all reignition risks are eliminated. This extended presence is designed to consolidate control of the fire and prevent the blaze from flaring back up after containment.

    In a public statement accompanying the operational update, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources renewed its urgent appeal to all residents and visitors to avoid any use of fire in wooded areas. This includes open burning, unextinguished campfires, and any other irresponsible fire activity that could spark new blazes, particularly during periods of dry, warm weather that create ideal conditions for wildfire spread. The ministry emphasized that proactive prevention and responsible public behavior are the most foundational tools for protecting fragile forest ecosystems, and for reducing the life-threatening risks that frontline wildfire response teams face when responding to new ignitions.

  • Rain expected over several provinces; Indomet monitoring a system with an 80% chance of becoming a cyclone.

    Rain expected over several provinces; Indomet monitoring a system with an 80% chance of becoming a cyclone.

    On September 19, 2026, the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) released a comprehensive multi-part weather update for the Dominican Republic, outlining three key atmospheric conditions that will impact populations across multiple provinces in the coming days.

    First, the agency forecast a series of scattered storm systems driven by elevated atmospheric moisture, unstable air currents, and localized geographic weather effects. Through the morning hours, isolated rain showers and thunderstorm activity are projected to move through populated coastal and southern regions including the capital district of Santo Domingo, as well as La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, and San Cristóbal.

    As Saturday progresses into the afternoon, the intensity of precipitation is expected to shift and strengthen across central and northern parts of the country. Localized heavy downpours paired with thunder will impact Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, Sánchez Ramírez, and Monseñor Nouel. In northern zones of San Juan and Azua, plus Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Dajabón, and their surrounding neighboring areas, the weather service warns of moderate to extreme downpours that will be accompanied by lightning, thunder, and sudden gusty winds. Forecasters note that all storm activity is projected to subside significantly once night falls across the country.

    Beyond the day’s storm forecast, Indomet has issued a public health advisory linked to persistent high temperatures that will cover most of the Dominican Republic. Hot, sticky conditions will hold across the majority of the nation, pushing the heat index— a measure of how hot temperatures actually feel to the human body when combined with humidity— to dangerous levels. To reduce the risk of heat-related illness, the institute has released a set of public safety guidelines: residents and visitors are encouraged to maintain steady hydration by drinking large amounts of water throughout the day, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in light shades that reflect sunlight, avoid unprotected exposure to direct sunlight between the peak heating hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and prioritize time spent in cool, well-ventilated spaces. The advisory specifically highlights that children, older adults, and pregnant people face an elevated risk of heat-related complications and should take extra precautions during this period of high heat.

    In addition to short-term domestic weather, Indomet is actively tracking a developing low-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean that poses a potential tropical cyclone risk. The system, currently consisting of disorganized showers and thunderstorms, is located several hundred kilometers southwest of the Azores archipelago. Forecasters estimate there is an 80% probability that the system will organize and strengthen into a tropical cyclone within both the next 48 hours and the coming seven-day window.

    Indomet has urged all members of the public to monitor updated weather information closely through its official website, www.indomet.gob.do, and its social media accounts @IndometRD to stay informed of any changes to conditions or additional safety guidance.

  • Abinader inaugurates Puerto Plata plant to end open-air landfill

    Abinader inaugurates Puerto Plata plant to end open-air landfill

    On Friday, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader presided over the official inauguration of the Jaime Manuel Camps Power Recycling Plant and Sanitary Landfill, a transformative waste management infrastructure built in Puerto Plata to resolve a decades-long environmental crisis.

    Constructed on the site of the old, unregulated Maggiolo landfill, the project represents a total public-private investment of 1.6 billion Dominican pesos, introducing a modern model that combines resource recovery with controlled waste disposal to replace the open-air dumping practices that have contaminated the province for more than 40 years.

    José Antonio Acebal, lead investor for JMC Power Recycling, outlined the facility’s key technical features during the inauguration ceremony. The first phase of development includes a 27,337-square-meter disposal cell with a total capacity of 1.46 million cubic meters, designed to process between 600 and 800 tons of solid waste daily. To eliminate groundwater and soil contamination, the cell is fitted with a high-density geomembrane waterproofing system, alongside specialized drainage and leachate treatment infrastructure. Additional protective systems include biogas collection and monitoring, daily waste covering protocols, and continuous environmental testing of groundwater, leachate, and air emissions.

    Beyond controlled disposal, the site also hosts a material recovery facility that sorts and recycles reusable waste, cutting the total volume of material that requires permanent landfill storage. According to Acebal, the facility’s ongoing operations will create more than 500 direct jobs, with an equal number of indirect employment opportunities for local residents.

    Speaking at the event, Presidency Minister José Ignacio Paliza emphasized that the project marks a fundamental shift for Puerto Plata’s solid waste management. For decades, uncontrolled open dumping at the old Maggiolo site produced frequent landfill fires and dense smoke that plagued local communities and threatened tourism activity at the nearby Amber Cove cruise terminal, one of the province’s top tourist entry points. Paliza noted that what was once a major environmental liability has been reborn as a purpose-built facility focused on waste valorization, with built-in systems to minimize ecological harm and protect the region’s critical tourism and economic sectors.

    Roquelito García, mayor of San Felipe de Puerto Plata, called the inauguration the end of a 40-year chapter defined by unregulated open-air waste disposal. García praised the new facility’s strict standards for organization, operational efficiency, and environmental protection, crediting the successful delivery of the project to collaborative work between the national government, the municipal city council, and private sector partners.

    The inauguration ceremony was attended by multiple senior Dominican officials, including Senate President Ricardo de los Santos, Chamber of Deputies President Alfredo Pacheco, and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Paíno Henríquez. The event concluded with a blessing from Monsignor Julio César Corniel Amaro, Bishop of the Diocese of Puerto Plata.

  • Blackman and Gollop pupils in national tree-planting drive

    Blackman and Gollop pupils in national tree-planting drive

    On a sunny Friday in Barbados, young students from Blackman and Gollop Primary School swapped classroom lessons for shovels and soil, teaming up with uniformed soldiers and sailors from the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) to plant 65 native shade trees across the school grounds. This collaborative activity is not an isolated community event, but the first step in a sustained national initiative kicking off months ahead of the country’s landmark “60 and Five” celebrations scheduled for November 30, when Barbados will mark two defining milestones: six decades of independence from colonial rule and five years as a sovereign republic. The monthly tree-planting campaign is the product of a formal partnership between the BDF and the National Conservation Commission (NCC), with organizers committed to planting 65 trees each month in the lead-up to the November celebrations.

    Speaking to local outlet Barbados TODAY, Blackman and Gollop Primary School Principal Harriet Blackman shared details of the day’s activity, noting that 36 students spanning Classes 1 to 4 took part in the planting, with every pupil paired one-on-one with a BDF service member.

    “I am incredibly pleased our school was selected to take part in this national Tree Planet initiative tied to the 60 and Five celebrations,” Blackman said. “Having 36 of our students standing here today, putting shovels to ground, is something the entire school community is proud of.”

    Beyond contributing to the national goal, Blackman emphasized that the initiative aligns perfectly with the school’s long-standing environmental education objectives, offering young learners a hands-on opportunity to engage with national civic life while building lifelong conservation habits. “This project lets students be active contributors to something that matters to the entire country. We are fully committed to nurturing these trees as they grow, because this work fits directly into our school’s environmental mandate. Not only will the new trees provide much-needed shade across our campus, but the entire experience will encourage our students to prioritize protecting our natural environment.”

    By assigning students direct responsibility for the care of their planted trees, the school aims to foster a deeper personal connection between young people and the natural world, Blackman explained. “When students have a personal stake in these trees, they carry that memory with them, and they understand firsthand why environmental stewardship matters,” she said.

    The project is also set to deliver a long-term educational benefit to the school: the development of a new shaded outdoor learning and recreation space on campus. “As we cleared and prepped the area this morning, we were already thinking about how we can use this space for years to come. Eventually, we plan to add benches and outdoor tables, so teachers can bring lessons outside and students can use the area for recreation as well,” Blackman added.

    Dewyn Phillips, coordinator of the National Tree Planting Programme under Barbados’ Ministry of Environment, praised the cross-sector collaboration that makes the initiative possible, highlighting that the partnership unites three critical pillars of national life: national security, education, and environmental conservation.

    “If you break down the collaboration, the BDF brings a focus on protecting our national boundaries and interests, the schools represent the future of our country through education, and the NCC leads our work to conserve our natural environment,” Phillips explained. “By leveraging these synergies across sectors, we are able to deliver a meaningful monthly activity that builds momentum all the way up to Independence Day.”

    Looking ahead, Phillips shared that program organizers are working to expand the tree-planting initiative to more schools across Barbados in the coming months, with the goal of engaging as many young people and communities as possible before the November 30 celebrations. The ongoing drive not only marks a historic national milestone but also advances long-term environmental goals that will benefit Barbadian communities for generations to come.

  • Bedrijfsplan Braganza erkent milieuschade grootschalige sojateelt

    Bedrijfsplan Braganza erkent milieuschade grootschalige sojateelt

    A proposed large-scale soy and corn production project led by Braganza Marketing Group in Suriname has sparked intense environmental scrutiny, after the company’s own strategic business document acknowledged the link between expanding global soy cultivation and widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss in other regions. The debate over ecological risks has gained new urgency as the agribusiness firm moves forward with plans to develop thousands of hectares of land and partners with Mennonite farmers to execute the initiative.

    Braganza’s 2022-2031 business plan, finalized in May 2023, opens with an analysis of the global soy market and large-scale agricultural production hubs around the world. In the document, the company explicitly notes that rising international demand for soy – most of which is used for livestock feed – has driven the conversion of large swathes of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest into agricultural land, with devastating impacts on native forest ecosystems and global biodiversity. Despite this acknowledgment, the plan outlines major expansion of mechanized large-scale agriculture in Suriname, starting with thousands of hectares of cultivated land with plans for further incremental expansion.

    In January 2026, Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) entered into a public legal agreement with Braganza, granting the company conditional access to 9,366.72 hectares of state-owned land in the Para district for a 20-year term. The land is designated specifically for large-scale mechanized farming and related supporting activities, and the agreement requires Braganza to bring at least 10 percent of the total area into cultivation each year.

    However, the deal does not give Braganza free rein to clear the entire concession. All development activities must comply with Suriname’s national environmental legislation, binding international commitments, and existing national agricultural policy frameworks. Additional specific permits are required for site preparation, land cultivation, and infrastructure construction.

    Environmental concerns have become the central point of public debate around the project and the involvement of Mennonite farmers recruited by Braganza. LVV Minister Mike Noersalim has publicly stated that all mandatory environmental impact assessments must be completed and all required approvals secured before large-scale development can begin, adding that any clearing of primary forest is strictly prohibited under national regulation.

    Braganza CEO Ruud Souverein told reporters the company has already submitted the scoping phase of its environmental impact report to the National Environmental Authority (NMA) and is currently awaiting regulatory feedback. Souverein claimed that preliminary surveys have found no primary forest within the project concession area, noting that most of the vegetation targeted for development is secondary forest. This claim has not yet been independently verified, leaving key questions unresolved: what is the official classification of vegetation and forest cover across the concession, how much land will ultimately be approved for clearing, and what binding environmental conditions will the NMA impose on the project?

    Mennonite farmers recruited by Braganza have already established a presence in the Tibiti region. During a recent site visit by members of Suriname’s parliament, environmental activist Erlan Sleur, and journalists, observers confirmed that a portion of the concession area has already been cleared. Local reporting indicates that further clearing and development work is currently on hold pending regulatory review.

    Braganza’s business plan itself acknowledges that most available agricultural land in Suriname requires major preparation before it can be brought into commercial cultivation, and it also identifies land rights issues as a key risk for the project. The public agreement between Braganza and the LVV requires the company to prioritize local community members for employment opportunities, support local services, and include local stakeholders in regional development planning. The deal also mandates the establishment of a $100,000 community development fund.

    However, the official agreement document obtained by local outlet Starnieuws leaves critical details about the fund undefined: it does not specify which local community or communities are intended to benefit from the fund, who will manage its assets, or what formal rules will govern the distribution of funds for local projects. This lack of clarity has added to existing concerns from civil society groups that the project will prioritize corporate profit over environmental protection and the rights of local populations, who have lived in and relied on the region’s forest ecosystems for generations.

  • ‘Mogelijk’ US$ 1.693.800 betaald voor overname rechten op 9.410 hectare landbouwgrond

    ‘Mogelijk’ US$ 1.693.800 betaald voor overname rechten op 9.410 hectare landbouwgrond

    A leaked 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Braganza Marketing Group and a group of Mennonites from Belize has pulled back the curtain on opaque financial arrangements tied to thousands of hectares of earmarked land for large-scale agricultural development in Suriname, contradicting public statements made by Braganza’s leadership. Dated November 27, 2025, the document was shared with regional outlet Starnieuws by environmental activist John Goedschalk, who has long tracked controversial land development projects in the country. Its contents directly conflict with written claims Braganza Director Lionel Blokland provided to Starnieuws just last week.

    The core terms of the MoU outline a structured financial deal that would see the Mennonite group acquire 100% of the shares in a local Surinamese company called Agriculture New Surland N.V. Once the share acquisition is complete, land rights for roughly 9,410 hectares of territory would be transferred to the company. The total price tag for this transaction is listed as US$1.693 million, and the agreement names key representatives from both sides: Jacob Olfert Friesen and Heinrich Hamm for the Mennonites, and Christiaan Rudolf Souverein for Braganza. Additional signatories include Peter Schmidt alongside the named Mennonite representatives.

    Most notably, the MoU directly contradicts Blokland’s categorical denial to Starnieuws last week that Braganza was selling any land to the Mennonite group. When asked if Braganza or any affiliated party was receiving per-hectare payments for the land, Blokland avoided a direct answer, noting only that there were agreements in place regarding investments and mutual financial obligations, but that these details were not open to public scrutiny. The leaked MoU confirms that as of late November 2025, a concrete financial structure had already been finalized that explicitly links the share transfer to land rights for the 9,410-hectare plot.

    The payment schedule laid out in the document is equally revealing. According to the MoU, the Mennonites had already transferred US$250,000 to the bank account of Braganza Marketing Group N.V. by the time the agreement was signed. A second payment of US$596,900 would be made directly to Braganza next, bringing the total paid to 50% of the overall sum. A third installment of US$423,450 would follow one year after the transaction closes, with a fourth and final payment of the same amount due two years post-transaction. All installments are designated to be deposited into Braganza’s accounts, adding up to the total sum of US$1.693 million. Notably, the US$250,000 down payment and the overall US$1.69 million total were first reported earlier this year by the international environmental news platform Mongabay, which also reviewed a copy of the MoU related to the Mennonites’ relocation and development plans in Suriname.

    When broken down by the total acreage, the per-hectare price works out to roughly US$180. This figure conflicts with the US$150 per hectare figure recently cited to journalists by Belizean Mennonite representative Peter Petersen. The MoU does not clarify where Petersen’s US$150 figure originated, but it does confirm that a large sum of money is directly tied to the land rights deal for the 9,410-hectare plot.

    Blokland’s response last week attempted to distance Braganza from the Mennonites’ internal financial arrangements, claiming that any internal accounting within the Mennonite communities was a private matter. He did acknowledge that Braganza and Mennonite-owned entities had agreements for investments and mutual financial obligations, but refused to disclose any specific dollar amounts. The leaked MoU, however, includes concrete figures, explicit payment deadlines, and names Braganza as the direct recipient of all payments. At the same time, Starnieuws cautions that it cannot confirm based on this single document whether all the terms laid out in the November 2025 MoU have been implemented unchanged, or whether subsequent agreements have altered the original terms.

    The phrasing surrounding the 9,410 hectares of land also raises new questions about compliance with existing public land regulations. A separate January 13, 2026 agreement between Braganza and Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) states that the Surinamese government retains full ownership of the state land in question, and Braganza only holds a functional, non-transferable right of use. Any transfer of rights to third parties requires prior written approval from the LVV. This creates a clear conflict with the November 2025 MoU’s plan to transfer land rights via a share sale to the Mennonite group, raising questions about how the two agreements align.

    For Goedschalk, the contradictions between Braganza’s public statements and the terms laid out in the leaked MoU demand full transparency. The activist has monitored large-scale agricultural development and the Mennonites’ planned expansion in Suriname critically for several years. Back in 2023, he released public documents detailing land applications tied to Terra Invest and Ruud Souverein, noting at the time that he was not claiming the land had already been allocated, only that applications had been submitted. Now, with this new leaked document in hand, Goedschalk is renewing his call for complete public disclosure of all financial and legal structures behind the current wave of agricultural development projects in Suriname.

  • Millions to Defend Belize’s Natural Frontiers

    Millions to Defend Belize’s Natural Frontiers

    In a landmark move to protect Belize’s ecologically critical border regions and rich natural heritage, a multi-partner initiative has committed over one million Belize dollars to expand frontline conservation work across some of the country’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

    The funding, a collaborative effort between the Government of Belize, the European Union, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will be distributed directly to three local conservation organizations working to strengthen forest protection, scale up Indigenous-led stewardship, and expand enforcement patrols in Chiquibul National Park and southern Belize’s Maya landscape.

    Lawrence Thompson, Director of Border Management for Belize, emphasized that the investment will also upgrade the country’s border management infrastructure, particularly the Midas border monitoring system. “This is supporting the continuous strengthening of border management system and its capabilities,” Thompson noted, adding that he extended sincere gratitude to the EU and IOM for their targeted support to improve Belize’s border governance capacity.

    Among the grantees is the Foundation for Conservation and Development (FCD), whose executive director Rafael Manzanero highlighted the program’s focus on empowering local civil society conservation groups. FCD’s specific project, *Strengthening the Natural and Cultural Protection of Chiquibul National Park Through Improved Capability and Operational Support*, will target on-the-ground needs for protecting the park’s unique biodiversity and cultural sites.

    A second major initiative, led by Ya’axché Conservation Trust with a total budget of €139,689, focuses on strengthening transboundary conservation efforts across southern Belize’s biologically diverse Maya landscape. Ya’axché Executive Director Christina Garcia explained that the project will fill longstanding gaps in conservation enforcement by boosting operational capacity and upgrading frontline field skills for local conservation teams.

    Unlike many large-scale conservation grants that allocate resources to national-level administrative bodies, this initiative channels all funding directly to frontline organizations and local communities that work daily to defend Belize’s forests from illegal incursion, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Officials involved in the partnership note that this direct resourcing model will maximize impact, allowing teams on the ground to address immediate threats to Belize’s territory, unique ecosystems, and irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage.

    Chiquibul National Park, Belize’s largest protected area, spans over 400,000 hectares of old-growth tropical forest along the country’s western border, and is home to dozens of threatened species and important Maya cultural sites. The region has long faced challenges from illegal activity crossing adjacent borders, making increased patrols and community-led conservation a high priority for both environmental protection and national territorial management.

  • Nearly $1 Million to Strengthen Belize’s Conservation

    Nearly $1 Million to Strengthen Belize’s Conservation

    In a major push to safeguard ecologically critical border landscapes, three leading Belizean conservation groups will split a combined $980,617 in grant funding to scale up forest protection, regulatory enforcement, and community-centered conservation work across some of the country’s most at-risk border regions.

    The multi-donor initiative draws support from the Government of Belize, the European Union, and the International Organization for Migration, with the full amount allocated directly to the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), and the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) – three organizations with long track records of on-the-ground conservation work in Belize.

    Each grantee will target a distinct high-priority landscape aligned with its core expertise. For Ya’axché Conservation Trust, the funding will support a targeted transboundary conservation project in the Maya Golden Landscape of southern Belize. The initiative’s key priorities include expanding skills training for park rangers to improve operational effectiveness, streamlining cross-agency coordination for conservation enforcement, and removing barriers to deeper local community engagement in long-term landscape protection.

    FCD, meanwhile, will center its work on the ecologically rich Chiquibul National Park, where the grant will enable the organization to strengthen patrol operations, biodiversity monitoring, digital surveillance, and enforcement activity along a 43.5-kilometer section of the park’s western border. In a statement following the grant announcement, FCD Executive Director Rafael Manzanero expressed gratitude for the funding partnership, noting that the targeted program fills a critical gap by supporting civil society-led conservation action. “This unique programme seeks to empower conservation and environmental civil society like FCD. We are grateful for that,” Manzanero said.

    The third project, led entirely by SATIIM, takes an Indigenous-centered approach to border conservation and security. The organization will train local community members to serve as biocultural guardians, an innovative model that integrates generations of traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge with modern biodiversity conservation practices to protect both natural ecosystems and cultural heritage along the border.

    Beyond the individual projects, this new round of grants fits into a broader regional strategy led by the EU and IOM to boost institutional and community capacity across Belize’s southern and western border zones. Unlike many top-down conservation initiatives, the program channels funding and decision-making power directly to local organizations and community groups that work daily to defend Belize’s irreplaceable forest ecosystems, natural heritage, and Indigenous cultural landscapes against encroachment and environmental degradation.

  • Rainfall will decrease across the country starting this Saturday

    Rainfall will decrease across the country starting this Saturday

    SANTO DOMINGO – After days of widespread rainfall across the Dominican Republic driven by a tropical wave and upper-level trough, the primary weather systems that brought heavy precipitation have moved out of direct influence over the Caribbean nation, leaving only residual moisture to trigger isolated downpours in inland regions. According to Cristopher Lorian, a leading meteorologist with the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), ongoing residual rain activity is currently concentrated in specific zones, including Santiago Rodríguez, the southern districts of the Santiago province, and the elevated mountainous regions of La Vega. Lorian notes that these scattered rain events, which can come paired with sudden thunderstorms and strong wind gusts, are projected to shift across other parts of the Cibao region through Saturday afternoon, covering Puerto Plata, Valverde, Dajabón, and their adjacent surrounding areas. Moving into the weekend, three overlapping atmospheric conditions will reshape the country’s weather pattern. A lingering humid air mass will remain in place, while moderate concentrations of Saharan dust will drift into the region, all under the stabilizing influence of an upper-level anticyclonic system. This combination will drastically restrict rainfall across the nation, limiting both the total volume of precipitation and the geographic area that will see any rain at all. “Rain will be restricted to far fewer provinces, and any showers that do develop will be light in intensity,” Lorian explained. “Most of the country will experience mostly sunny skies, though a hazy gray tint will hang over the atmosphere due to the incoming Saharan dust, which begins arriving tomorrow.” The combination of residual humidity, Saharan dust, and limited cloud cover will push perceived temperatures higher across the entire Dominican Republic, driving the heat index to uncomfortable levels in most areas. Weather projections indicate this warm, dry, hazy pattern will hold through the entire extended weekend into early next week. Conditions on Sunday will mirror those on Saturday, with the same warm, limited-rain profile expected to continue through Monday and Tuesday. While a weak trough is forecast to move near the nation during this period, atmospheric moisture levels will remain far too low to trigger widespread significant rainfall.

  • Launch of the National Community Reforestation Strategy in Haiti

    Launch of the National Community Reforestation Strategy in Haiti

    On September 17, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of Environment, led by Minister Valéry Fils-Aimé and implemented through the country’s Directorate of Forests and Renewable Energy (DFER), officially inaugurated the National Community Reforestation Strategy – a landmark national initiative designed to reverse decades of landscape degradation while tying ecological restoration to inclusive local economic development. The launch ceremony brought together multiple cabinet ministers, senior representatives from public agencies, private sector stakeholders, environmental nonprofits, and international development partners, with Haiti’s Minister of Agriculture Marcelin Aubourg addressing attendees remotely via pre-recorded video. At the core of the new strategy is a paradigm shift: moving beyond short-term, cost-centered environmental action to build a long-term, productive “restoration economy” that directly benefits marginalized groups including young people, women, and rural smallholder producers. Minister Fils-Aimé emphasized this shift in opening remarks, noting that natural resource protection should not be treated as a purely charitable expenditure, but as an investment that generates shared, sustainable economic opportunity for the local communities that steward these resources. In addition to outlining the strategy’s core vision, Minister Fils-Aimé also announced an upcoming collaborative initiative with the Ministry of Interior to develop a network of new communal forests across underutilized state-owned land. Speaking from his remote address, Minister Aubourg stressed that successful reforestation cannot be reduced to a one-off tree-planting exercise. Instead, he argued, it requires a holistic territorial approach that integrates watershed management, soil regeneration, expanded vegetation cover, and the scaling of climate-smart agroforestry practices. This approach, he added, depends on far stronger coordination between national public institutions, local municipal governments, rural communities, and development partners to avoid fragmented, ineffective interventions. Aubourg also highlighted the critical need to center smallholder farmers in decision-making, including their input on selecting which landscapes to prioritize and which tree and crop species to plant, to align projects with local ecological conditions, agricultural needs, and economic goals. DFER Director Agr. Eder Audate followed with a detailed presentation of the strategy’s full framework, laying out its overarching vision, core objectives, strategic priority areas, expected outcomes, and on-the-ground implementation mechanisms. Audate outlined the guiding principles that will shape the strategy’s rollout: local community ownership and governance, selection of ecologically appropriate native and useful species, integration of agroforestry to support local livelihoods, delivery of direct economic benefits to participating communities, and ongoing rigorous monitoring and evaluation of all interventions. The strategy sets out bold, measurable targets to be achieved by 2031: restore more than 50,000 hectares of severely degraded landscapes across Haiti, establish or strengthen 100 community-run tree nurseries distributed across all 10 of the country’s departments, directly engage more than 50,000 rural households in implementation, and create or support more than 10,000 full-time green jobs. Beyond landscape and economic goals, the strategy also includes provisions to strengthen long-term monitoring of all restored areas. This monitoring work will improve outcome tracking, increase transparency around intervention activities, and document the strategy’s contributions to Haiti’s national climate change and environmental protection commitments made under international agreements. Joseph Emmanuel Philippe, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the General Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, closed the ceremony by issuing a call to action, urging technical and financial partners, environmental organizations, private sector businesses, academic and scientific institutions, and all relevant stakeholders to join in supporting the strategy’s national rollout. The initiative already receives core support from three major international development actors: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Heifer International. For Haiti’s Ministry of Environment, the strategy represents a unified effort to align public, community-led, and partner interventions around a shared national ambition: restore degraded ecosystems, strengthen the climate and economic resilience of rural communities, and position large-scale ecological restoration as a sustained driver of inclusive economic opportunity across the country.