Punta Cana. DR.- Destination City Cap Cana has focused on prioritizing, respecting and maintaining the biodiversity that enriches this beautiful place. Today celebrates World Environment Day highlighting that all species of flora and fauna are the most important
Flora and fauna species are the most important inhabitants, so they have the responsibility to protect and preserve them and preserve the lungs and natural wealth of the area.
In order to integrate all the isolated sustainability initiatives and actions into the same executing arm, in 2016 the Cap Cana Foundation was created; a non-profit organization that aims to protect the natural resources located within the Destination City Cap Cana and strengthen it socially through community development programs and is responsible for implementing programs based on the following strategic axes:
Sustainable service infrastructure 2.
Efficient power generation
– Wartsilla technology with minimal CO2 emissions.
– Underground cabling system.
– Solar park with a capacity of 2,100 kW of renewable energy.
Responsible management of aqueducts
– Gravity distribution of approx. Ten thousand cubic meters per day.
– In the process of replacing pvc pipes with polyethylene in preparation for the execution of water desalination.
Sewage treatment
– Completely aerobic.
– An average of 3,000 cubic meters of water are reused per day for irrigation of the Punta Espada golf course, Los Establos paddock farms and surrounding areas.
2. Nature-based solutions
Coral Reef Rehabilitation:
– Coral nursery with two species reproduced with asexual methodology.
– More than 600 reproduced coral fragments.
– Monitoring of diseases and health of the reefs.
Reproduction of endangered plants:
– 13 native botanical species in danger of extinction.
– More than 8,000 copies were reproduced with assistance.
– Increased CO₂ absorption capacity, thus increasing native biodiversity and preventing soil erosion.
Hive rescue:
– Plus 5.8 mm of rescued bees.
– Apiary with organic honey production.
– Training of beekeepers in rescuing hives.
Urticaria
Risk Management Strategy:
– Certification of management and operational personnel in the incident command system.
– Creation of a sustainability committee.
– Contingency plan for meteorological events.
– Survey of the physical risk matrix for all areas of operation and contingency plans.
– Survey of carbon sinks and calculation of the ecological footprint.
Atmosphere
3. Biodiversity conservation and environmental management
Conservation of threatened fauna:
– Camera trap monitoring of Solenodont, jutía and Rhinoceros Iguana.
– Definition of the ecological corridor in an area of populations of wild fauna.
Wildlife Rescue Line:
– More than 60 emergencies attended since 2019.
PET Bottle Recycling Program:
– Collaboration agreement with Cervecería Nacional Dominicana for the implementation of the Recicla 100+ program, now NUVI PET.
– Through this initiative, more than 55,000 pounds of plastic were recovered.
plastic bottle recycling
Environmental management:
– Marine laboratory for assisted sexual reproduction of corals.
– Wildlife nursery.
– Orchid in vitro reproduction laboratory.
Environmental projects:
– Nursery of native plants in danger of extinction.
– Apiary of rescued hives.
– Orquideario of autochthonous species.
– Aquaponics system.
– Domestic animal rescue shelter.
A model city
The Sustainability District of the Destination City of Cap Cana is the physical space where the main environmental and social sustainability projects and initiatives developed by the Cap Cana Foundation are located.
Administrative offices, Cap Cana Foundation, Environmental Research Center, marine laboratory, botanical laboratory, wildlife care area, virtual museum, housing for technical interns, domestic rescue shelter, orchidarium, native plant nursery, urban garden, apiary rescued beehives, aquaponics area, composting area, butterfly garden and bird refuge are the amenities that make up the District.
Soon they will work to include techniques of assisted sexual reproduction of corals in the program to achieve greater genetic diversity in the rehabilitated reefs and, therefore, a greater possibility of resilience of the population in the face of stress factors.
