How to gain ground in desertification and curb water scarcity?

SANTO DOMINGO. -For brake la water shortage y benefit that natural resources, first step what authorities should give in the Dominican Republic is start tomorrow y attempting la "wheel" what else do I know adapt to reality country, because the media is available, just Missing decision

So he considered David Schwartzman, Israeli specialist, who when giving the talk “Israel's experience in the fight against drought and successful cases in Latin America and the Caribbean”He argued that the best thing that can happen to Dominicans is that the countries of the region stock up on their products and this is achieved with an efficiency in the use of water for agriculture.

He pointed out that for brake la lack of water needed; First of all, educate citizens From the schools for create awareness y, second, Frender deforestation y foster massively the reforestation for counter la desertification.

In addition, he stated that they should be performed good farming practices, through the soil conservation, irrigation technology implementation adapted to water saving y improve productions y Treatments yuuse of marginal waters, to return it at least to agriculture.

“The contamination of water sources, especially underground ones, should be avoided, groundwater studies carried out and their use using renewable energy, to adapt crops to climate change and give them primary or secondary treatment so that they can return to use".

However, Schwartzman considered it insufficient to make a well and start to draw water, there has to be a daily control of how much water is being used; the quality of the water to control that the liquid that arrives at the houses is as pure as possible.

In the activity, carried out by the Resilience to Drought Project of the Dominican Republic and the INTEC Climate Change ObservatoryDaniel Biran Bayor, Israel's ambassador, said that this country is a gift from God. "You have to keep the water because we have gold in your hand," he said.

"We arrive at the house and we don't worry because there is always water, but one day we will find water with a strong smell or it will have another color," he said.

In that sense, Schwartzman said that in Israel it is always considered that there is drought. "There is a need mentality there, although most of the world has an abundance mentality, and in the latter there is no concern and, therefore, they find it difficult to adapt to climate change."

In a video presented by the exhibitor, it is evident that the authorities and the people of Israel took into account that agriculture is the largest consumer of water in the world. Israeli innovation helps farmers grow more with less, through the development of a technology to use water more efficiently and thus double it, and for greater food production.

“It cost us, but we continue because the desert is not an obstacle. The key is to adapt the crops to the desert, for example, in the last three years banana plantations were implemented, and in agriculture we use a drip irrigation technology, which delivers the amount of water directly to the roots where and when it's necessary, ”said Schwartzman.

The speaker indicated that the Israeli authorities created four institutions for desert development: the Keren Kaiemet Institute, and the Ramat Neguev, Rumsteak and Aravana research and development centers. And, more than 20 years ago the Desert Development Ministry was formed.

El 68% of the Israel territory es desert. However, for the Israelis this has not been an obstacle, their good practices gain ground for desertification, said the expert.

“We had five years of drought, but there were no water problems. In Israel there are no natural forests, all were planted and, therefore, there is a very strict law that states that no one can burn or cut trees, ”he said.

Some of the actions developed to take advantage of desertification, according to the Israeli speaker, were: the development of activities by the government to attract investments, economic facilities and creation of jobs, forest planting to stop erosion and development of new varieties of crops adapted to the desert climate.

Water price

Israel has 1,200 wells that are used for groundwater. The price of desalinated water costs 62 cents per cubic meter of water, but the user has two rates: with uses of up to 3.5 cubic meters per person per month, it costs 1.7 dollars per cubic meters, and passing is a cap increases to 2.2 dollars per cubic meter. According to the expert, in Israel, 85% of the country's wastewater is recycled and treated so that it could be drunk again.