Summer hasn’t even started yet and some popular beaches in the Dominican Republic, like Andrés in Boca Chica, already are covered with sargassum.
Local experts claim that an increase in algae is imminent due to the arrival of the summer season in a week and current global warming.
They also report that this problem is already affecting local governments in different ways.
To mitigate the environmental and economic impacts, the Sargassum fighting cabinet is actively working on short-term policies to respond to the challenges posed by the uncontrolled arrival of algae.
The permanent disposal of sargassum is a concern for authorities, as tourist hotspots such as Boca Chica are already experiencing serious problems with the regular waste generated by the community.
Residents of Boca Chica are warning of the negative economic impact a massive arrival of sargassum could have on a small tourist town like this.
They say City Hall and local entrepreneurs have managed to keep the beaches relatively clean despite the current sargassum invasion.
The algae is intercepted on the open sea and if that is not possible, it is collected directly on the beach, from where it is transported by truck to various dumps.
It looks like the authorities have sorted it all out. But nothing further from the truth.
In municipalities such as Boca Chica, solid waste dumps are located throughout the city, posing a threat to tourism development in the region.
In fact, most are located along the Las Americas Highway and the main roads leading to tourist areas.
According to local media, in Santo Domingo you can find dumps at the entrance to villages, on beaches or in front of educational institutions.
The town hall says it has not been able to properly dispose of household waste because most of the collection vehicles given to the new mayor are broken.
With authorities unable to collect waste from the streets, residents have had to hire people to cart items to take their waste to the dumps.
It is not clear how the government will deal with the mass arrival of sargassum this summer, as the situation is already precarious.
Recently, the Dominican Republic received a $400 million loan from the World Bank to strengthen environmental protection. It has not been disclosed whether it will use some of that money to combat Sargassum.
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