FGDD/GFDD holds a two-day seminar on energy and the environment

November 3 and 4, 2004, local and international experts gathered at FUNGLODE/GFDD's headquarters to discuss "Energy Policies and the Environment: International Experiences and Recommendations for the Dominican Republic."

The purpose of this event was to put together different experiences from across the world, share them with Dominican experts and explore possible recommendations for the future of the Dominican Republic.

Ms. Natasha Despotovic, Executive Director of GFDD, acted as the moderator of the introductory panel that took place on the evening of November 3. The panelists were: Mr. Max Puig, State Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources; Mr. Rafael Maradiaga, Vice-President of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery, Mr. Sergio Trindade, from Brazil; Mr. Bjon Nordby, from Norway; Max Shauck and Grazia Zanin, Chairman and Director of Research respectively of the Baylor University Institute for Air Science, of the U.S, as well as Leonel Umaña from BUN-CA, Costa Rica.

During the seminar that ran the whole day of November 4 more speakers joined the event. Mr. Jaime Moreno, Coordinator of the FUNGLODE's Center for Studies on Environment and Sustainable Development; Mr. Samuel Bandack, from the Swiss company BELATRONIC S.A that specializes in wind energy; Mr Doroteo Rodriguez, from the Superintendence of Electricity, as well as Frantz Flambert from Haiti expressed their points of view and presented viable recommendations.

During the two-day conference different aspects of conventional and alternative sources of energy, their impact on the economy, infrastructure requirements and environment were discussed in depth.

The conference and the seminar were organized by FUNGLODE/GFDD, State Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Petroleum Refinery and the Tecno-Deah Consortium. It was sponsored by Cemex Dominicana.