The Community of Saint Paul starts a water supply project for agriculture as an alternative to burning coal in the Dominican Republic
Antonio is 70 years old and has always lived in the mountains: he has spent his entire life cutting trees for the construction of houses and for selling firewood or coal. In the town of Barrera, next to the Sierra de Martín García, a beautiful protected national park in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, that was the basic livelihood of almost half of the inhabitants of this town of 2,500. Two years ago, the Ministry of Environment prohibited the commercialization of charcoal to protect the vegetation of the area, but no alternatives were given to the people. Since then, villagers insist on cultivating the land to get by, but water is scarce.
In several meetings held with the community, the idea of channeling the water from a spring that is now rarely used arose. Water, which runs through a natural ditch, is lost in large part by evaporation, filtration and because at night nobody uses it. With the help of an engineer, last year a complete project was designed, with the plan to build a spring protection, a water tank and a pipeline to the cultivation areas and exploit alternative crops with drip irrigation systems.
At this moment, the first phase of the project is being initiated, with the construction of the spring protection, thanks to the visit and help of the "Project Water" group from Milwaukee, led by Mr. Patrick Harrington. Our friend Antonio told us a few days ago: "It is very hard to live on coal! If we could, we would definitely do something else!"
Our hope is that this new project may become a valid alternative to coal that may ensure the wellbeing of the inhabitants of the area.
In several meetings held with the community, the idea of channeling the water from a spring that is now rarely used arose. Water, which runs through a natural ditch, is lost in large part by evaporation, filtration and because at night nobody uses it. With the help of an engineer, last year a complete project was designed, with the plan to build a spring protection, a water tank and a pipeline to the cultivation areas and exploit alternative crops with drip irrigation systems.
At this moment, the first phase of the project is being initiated, with the construction of the spring protection, thanks to the visit and help of the "Project Water" group from Milwaukee, led by Mr. Patrick Harrington. Our friend Antonio told us a few days ago: "It is very hard to live on coal! If we could, we would definitely do something else!"
Our hope is that this new project may become a valid alternative to coal that may ensure the wellbeing of the inhabitants of the area.
