INTEC estimates the benefits of urban trees in Santo Domingo
SANTO DOMINGO. - The Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) develops a research projects. for measure y appreciate that Ecosystem services what does the urban woodland from the city of Santo Domingoinformed Solhanlle Bonilla Duarte, representative of Climate Change Observatory of INTEC and principal investigator of the project.
The initiative is part of the projects developed by the Observatory, which uses the tool i-Tree, created by the United States Forest Service, con el objetivo de explore el potential de urban green infrastructure as digital workplace strategy for resilience y adaptation to climate change in Santo Domingo.
Bonilla explained that with the tool a Inventory de green areas common and of the plant species y local fauna, using standardized protocols for urban areas through integración y Insights of geographic information. The expert in environmental economics indicated that they have already done surveys over the trees in the Iberoamerica Park, Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Stadium, Culture Square and Parque de las Praderas, as well as in several universities of the Environmental Network of Dominican Universities (RAUDO), with campus in Santo Domingo.
The innovative tool allows you to make comprehensive evaluation of the Facilities and offers calculations on how they impact improvements for the air quality, water flow and the water quality, reduction de greenhouse gases, oxygen production, ultraviolet radiation reduction, also the insect biodiversity and birds that inhabit them. The measurements will be disseminated for the integration of climate knowledge in urban planning and public policy decision-making, emphasized the INTEC academic.
Bonilla also stressed that they will train professionals local so they know use the tool i-Tree through workshops that integrate field and laboratory work aimed at strengthening urban institutions on issues of planning y climate resilience.
During the seminar "i-Tree as a tool for ecosystem services in tropical urban landscapes: the Dominican Republic case", which was held in the Julio Ravelo de la Fuente room at INTEC, teachers from the University of Puerto Rico explained how the use of this tool has allowed them to evaluate the effects of extreme events such as Hurricanes Maria e Irma.
La application de i-Tree in the Dominican Republic has allowed development de 17 projects de estimation of Ecosystem Services in urban green areas of the country, in addition, the interaction academic scientist between research centers and Dominican universities with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Río Piedras campus and the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Center of Tropical Forestry of Puerto Rico.
The project takes the first steps to establish a Air Quality Monitoring Network in the city of Santo Domingo through joint work with local entities, such as RAUDO, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and City Council of the National District (DNA)