GFDD/FUNGLODE held intensive seminar on Climate Change
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 20, 2006

On April 20, 2006, Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), its sister organization in the Dominican Republic, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), in collaboration with their local Environment Working Group, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Dominican Republic, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Santo Domingo, held an intensive one-day seminar on "Climate Change and its impact in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean" at FUNGLODE's auditorium in Santo Domingo.

During the seminar national and international experts were gathered to discuss Climate Change impacts in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. The agenda included a global approach to Climate Change by Michael MacCracken (Climate Institute) and Moisés Alvarez (National Climate Change Office, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Dominican Republic); and an analysis of the international and national legal framework by Mario Leiva Vega (Legal Advisor, Costa Rican Office of Joint Implementation) and Rafael Almonte (Coordinator, Graduate Program in Environmental Law, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, UASD).

The program also included in-depth analysis of Climate Change impacts in several areas: Agriculture (by Thoric Cederstom from Counterpart International, Nostanling Díaz Ferreira from the Ministry of Agriculture of Dominican Republic, SEA, and Edward Matos, from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Dominican Republic); Sustainable Development, by Sixto Inchaustegui, Program Officer for Environment, United Nations Development Program in Santo Domingo; Coastal Marine Ecosystems (by Robert Ginsburg, from the University of Miami, and William Gutiérrez, from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Dominican Republic); Tropical Storms and other atmospheric phenomenon (by Joel Pérez Fernández, from CATHALAC, and Antonio Cocco Quezada, from the Dominican School of Agriculture Professionals, CODIA); Biodiversity (by Daneris Santana, from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Dominican Republic, and Sixto Inchaustegui); Hydro Resources (by Héctor Rodríguez, from the Dominican Institute of Hydro Resources, INDHRI).

The last panel discussion of the seminar focused on the policies and strategies to manage Climate Change. The speakers included Christiana Figueres, former Director and founder of the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas, CSDA, and Luis Rodrigo Chaparro, from the National University of Colombia.

These events are part of the continuous efforts of the International Center for Environmental and Sustainable Development Studies (CIEMADeS, for it Spanish acronym), created by FUNGLODE, GFDD, Universidad del Turabo from Puerto Rico and the Université Quisqueya from Haiti, to promote the collaboration among government, non-government, academic and other institutions to partake and contribute to the improvement of the environment and promote the sustainable development of the region.

This seminar and the lecture held the night before on Future Perspectives on Climate Change are part of GFDD/FUNGLODE's aim to address updated issues on Environment, and collaborate on creating consciousness and increased public awareness.  

Additional Information:

Article: The Big Melt Coming Faster Than Expected (By Stephen Leahy)
Article: El gran derretimiento global se aproxima antes de lo esperado (Por Stephen Leahy)
Article: La República Dominicana y el cambio climático

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