Agriculture, pesticides and garbage have degraded "alarming" micro-basin Arroyo Cruz de Cuaba
The intense use of water and land for planting vegetables, together with a management without environmental regulations of pesticides, solid waste and pollutants, has alarmingly degraded the Arroyo Cruz de Cuaba micro-basin, located in the Rio basin. Tireo, Constanza.
The situation of the Arroyo Cruz de Cuaba micro-basin was disclosed by the USAID Program for Environmental Protection (USAID-PPA), through the consulting firm Jorge & Mustonen, within the framework of the results obtained by the consultancy "Design of a Management Model for 5 Micro-basins".
The deterioration of the natural resources of the Arroyo Cruz de Cuaba micro-basin is “the result of an irrational exploitation and a lack of mitigation measures for the management of water in irrigation and soils. In addition, the drinking water supply responds to intakes from untreated springs and the places where the water is obtained are very close to the contaminated waterways. This situation is linked to a management without environmental regulations of pesticides, solid waste and pollutants ”.
More than 90% of the area of the micro-basin is currently cultivated with vegetables, however, the profitability of growing vegetables does not translate into an improvement in the living conditions of the resident population, which are in good condition. of marginality, since the economic resources generated do not return and / or reinvest in the area.
The environmental deterioration of the micro-basin can be seen in the loss of vegetation cover (pines, timber, palm trees and ornamental species with high value), the disappearance of wildlife species and the proximity and ease of access by surrounding populations.
Likewise, pollution is manifested by the proliferation of plastic materials, packaging, vegetable waste, branches and glass bottles that are washed away during floods. The raising of pigs on the banks of water courses, the spillage of chemicals, oils and fuels, the use of water courses for the disposal of domestic water, organic and chemical residues (pesticides, fertilizers and fertilizers) also generates pollution. and detergents for washing small trucks and engines.
For the ecological restoration of the Arroyo Cruz de Cuaba micro-basin, it would be necessary to zoning land use and management according to its use capacity, improve the socio-economic conditions of the local population, control soil erosion. and the discharge of pollutants into streams and ravines, as well as a higher level of investment in sustainable management projects.
The consultancy included the diagnosis and design of a Pilot Project for ecological management and restoration of the Mijo river basins (San Juan de la Maguana Municipality), Arroyo Ancho (Jarabacoa Municipality), Cruz de Cuaba Stream (Constanza Municipality), San Juan River ( Municipality of Santa Bárbara de Samaná), Río Cosón (Municipality of Santa Bárbara de Samaná).
The consultancy was carried out thanks to the support of the United States people through the United States Agency for Development (USAID), through the Environmental Protection Program, which is executed by The Nature Conservancy and INTEC.