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Residents of Honduras' Bay Islands meeting in Roatán learned in April that contracts to carry out a series of long-awaited environmental protection projects had been awarded, and that work would soon begin. The program, which is being financed with a $19 million IDB loan, will include water supply, sewer and solid waste systems, a property census and registry, and environmental education. Measures to reduce pollution and rationalize development will preserve the islands' attractiveness as a tourism destination. In one meeting, members of the program's coordinating unit and a group of representatives of local civil society organizations discussed how the changes will benefit residents and protect marine ecosystems. A second meeting brought together major business interests and officials from local institutions. According to personnel from the coordinating unit, sanitation and property registration projects will begin next April, under the management of a group of national and international firms. The executive director of the program's executing unit, José Flores Rodas, indicated that a major aim of the program will be to help the island communities participate in the management and administration of the 50,000-hectare Bay Islands National Marine Park. Participating in the meetings were the mayors of the two local municipalities, the IDB representative in Honduras and senior government officials. |
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