Minister for Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal, Joseph Isaac has said his ministry has embarked on an ongoing process, a program for reforestation to have one million trees planted by the end of 2019.
The minister was addressing hundreds of diasporans during the 2018 Diaspora Forum held at the Goodwill Parish Hall on Thursday.
His brief presentation focused on two major areas of development, the environment and urban renewal.
“We will be doing an ongoing process, a program for reforestation, the aim there is to have a million trees planted by the end of 2019,” he revealed.
According to Isaac, in the area of urban renewal, the Prime Minister’s Budget Address of this financial year, he underlined the necessity for developing Roseau City and positioned it as the first Climate Resilience Smart City in the region.
“Rather than get disheartened by Hurricane Maria we have become more emboldened as we seek to modernize and fortify Roseau City,” Isaac stated.
He indicated that the transformation of Roseau City to a modern Climate Resilient Smart City will involve the completion of River walls on both the northern and southern side of the Roseau River, starting from the sea and moving right up to UWI [University of the West Indies, Elmshall Road].
“This will significantly lessen the likelihood of flooding and protect our capital city from rising river levels caused by rain.”
With regard to the many bridges Isaac said rehabilitation of all the bridges spanning Roseau River is presently ongoing.
“The intention here is to ensure that all bridges are climate resilient as the new West Bridge,” he noted.
To alleviate the problem of traffic congestion, he said this administration has in its possession a final design for the construction of a major bypass through the Botanical Gardens.
“This bypass road will pass through the back of Botanical Gardens and will link to the Elmshall road, close to UWI and work will soon commence on this initiative.”
Isaac further revealed that regarding parking, plans are being developed for the construction of a three-tier level parking facility.
“We have had discussions with a son of the soil, an industrial engineer who have proposed and suggested that we should use vertical parking systems in small lots in Roseau City,” he revealed.
Meantime, he said a committee has already been formed and is working on a comprehensive rehabilitation modernization of the Botanical Gardens into an urban park.
“The vision here is to establish the Botanical Gardens as a focal center-piece and a demonstration of Dominica’s ecological forest to the world,” he remarked. “This new development of the gardens will include, but not limited to rose gardens, fruit orchards, a reception centre to take advantage to the new trend in tourism, a modern restaurant, water features and a mini golf course for all of us to enjoy.”
The meeting was held under the theme: “My Love, My Home, Building a Resilient Nation.”
So they cutting dem down toopartoo in Wesley…..
And look Judas Issac deh talking bout planting ‘comme’
Laban Sot Pas Feb Neh !
Joseph Isaac is an absolute fool. He just says things willy nilly without any clear realistic thought. That is like the olympic size swimming pool he wanted to put in high street so swimmers can “practice” for Olympics. (Olympians train, they dont practice). Now when you planting your 1 million trees, as the Parl Rep for Roseau Central, the hottest place in the country due to vehicles, populace, business concentration etc) i HOPE that you intend on planting trees in Roseau in significant sightly area to provide beauty, shade, lower temperatures and reduce carbon emissions in Roseau, and not just flapping your ugly mouth like you normally do.
WOW! Imagine that. 2739.72 trees planted a day for a year. Must be robots planting em!
Lol, do it now.
Roseau is only remembered at the eve of an election. They have been saying this since 2000 and after every election they forget. Then —- on the eve of the next election they suddenly remember. Keep fooling us sir. That’s what we love.
Not going to happen, unless u are able to plant some in the ocean. Dominica is already a jungle
One million? Run the numbers. Not even remotely possible.
Construction of buildings for vertical parking, all bridges will be rehabilitated, new bypass road, river walls and many more will be done. Sounds familiar around this time? Are you going to be fooled yet again? If after 18 years of unbroken governance by one party, none of these were done, are you optimistic this time around? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, thrice and more, then I deserve it.
Where are your sources of finance for each of these multi-million dollars projects? If the government can’t find it possible to pay public servants a livable wage, in these desperately tough economic times, how feasible it is to access finance for these much touted projects?
I long stop believing politicians and their fanciful promises. Show me documentary evidence , the blueprint, named sources of finance, time frame, names of contractors, etcetera. Stop taking the citizens on a Wild Goose Chase. They have had enough of that for the past 18 years.
De PM already get de an fake honor for his efforts to champion climate resilience. ……you on de back foot. De PM taking praise over your head for no work done……..and all de time isaac was with UWP he said he doesn’t bow….he doesn’t beg
Putting another floor on your building…..you doh happy yet?
When a person reaches the age of 40, they are a seasoned adult, no longer a youth who can be excused for immaturity. As a 40 year old nation, it is time that we start to grow up and think BIG. That’s the only way forward. Too many of the projects in the past have been incremental, adding a little patch here, a little extension there to move up one rung on the ladder. In the end, we have not moved up at all. We lost a million trees during Maria, we plant a million trees. Nothing unrealistic here except for the limitations of our minds. Protecting the city is a good thing, but rebuilding or relocating key government buildings might be a better consideration. It doesn’t have to be the way it has always been. Building a bypass in the gardens and adding yet another concrete building in the form of a restaurant, I say NO. But friction is important in building big ideas. Don’t just go with what others suggest. Get assistance from those in the world who have actually DONE it…
Nature Isle, these failed Labour guys up in there in the picture appears static and in the usual nice talk, ole talk, divisive talk to distract our people that “Something is Happening”. These guys must run about like formi fou running to their hiding holes after they have devasted, corrupted, killed the life and progress of our Domininca due to incompetence, patronising, bobol and lack of foresight and immaturity. Joseph Issac knows all of this as his appointment has been an opportunistic one to gain favour and I guess lazy to remain loyal to his former decent UWP party to address all the wrongs and corruption of Skerrit’s failed Labour Party he spoke and advocated about then with the UWP, now he is on the resilience path. What a joke, what a comic , what a dismal failure to among feared questionable Labour politicians.
Skerrit must Go. His failed Corrupt Labour Government Go. This Labour Government is the worse thing happened to Domininca since Independence. E.O Leblanc is crying.
Big Ideas are excellent and necessary to move Dominica from the same state in which it was forty years ago. Big REALISTIC ideas. This one sounds like a statement from a well developed country that is just repeated here with the addition of an unrealistic timeline. If you are going to spread two million seeds around the country and hope a million will germinate, that’s that…But a million trees in 14 months???? Just stick to the idea to modernize and fortify Roseau.. That’s more believable.
Crazy thinking wish he could have done it in his constituency but wish full thinking come again
Good idea on the trees. But we can plant food trees, Breadfruit , breadnut, jack fruit, avocado and cashew and other type of food trees. These trees can do the same job for the environment and still feed the people. We should also plant flower trees ,like red and yellow flamboyant.
Yes, we need a productive sector, not a wishful sector just to blow the winds west, east, south and north. We need fruits and food falling from the tress, not only blowing trees. Issac is in a wishful thinking structure. He has to be seen doing something inside Labour to maintain his false alliance that move him across the floor to Corrupt Labour government. Strange things do happen. Strange bedfellows.
Skerrit and his Corrupt government with fake 18 ministers Must Go. Waste of state resources.
Totally agree – fruit trees and food trees are great. We should also consider planting high value timber that in the next 20 years will provide us with a competitive advantage in the furniture industry – mahogany, gomier, red cedar, greenheart etc. This is a real opportunity.
Who will keep count of that?
Isaac shut up please.The Quwaiti fund was supposed to have transformed Rosesu,it didn’t,then you all brought Labourites to Lagon in 2005 showing them artist image of how Roseau will soon look,so vote for DLP.Nothing happened. In 2014,same thing, i swore Roseau would be a little Paris..Sets of evil and wicked cri…….. DLP does not deserve one vote in Roseau.Broken drains,dog faeces,human faeces,smelling pee pee,garbage stream all over .How shameless and faceless can you all be to talk about the place you all have abandoned?Roseau people are smart.
By the end of 2019 Skerrit will not be PM,so you Isaac cannot tell Dominicans how many trees will be planted then.A U I’mWP government will do the right thing
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Garçon what happen to mister dem nuh, with all dese unrealistic dreams? 1 000 000 trees in one year? SMDH! Zoooorrrrr!!! So every single Dominican will plant 20 trees? Well look jobs papa. Unemployment will be down to ZERO at last!!!!
And what tree they will be planting? Bwa Banday?
They never state the cost of these foolish ideas
Or which company they’ve handed the no bid contract(s) to
How did they decide on the amount of trees?
How will these trees affect the biodiversity of Dominica?
Where will the greatest concentration be delivered?
Are these trees native?
If yes, which nursery has 1,000,000 seedlings ready for delivery?
How will they be transported and by whom?
How long after receipt will they be planted?
Is it the ideal growing season for the species that were selected?
Well its doable . One person can plant 20 trees a day; for 300 days one person can plant 6 ,000 a year. 500 people can plant 3,000,000 trees a year (three million ).
A by pass through the botanical gardens ?
Such a by pass shall become a main road in less than no time , and i cannot understand for the life of me how a main road can be considered ideal to pass through a botanical garden This does in no way sound eco friendly . I have always said the gates to this road should be shut to vehicular traffic, and only be used in emergencies .
You cannot have a main road running through there and still call the place a Botanical Garden .
Call it Gardens if you want .
We growing bur our minds not growing. Have you seen the amount of vehicles lately? Dee whilst you may be correct but we still need additional access. I for sure know we need a bypass at Newtown (below the Houses close to the sea.
No by pass please. A bus load of visitors , but no by pass. Not good for the environment protection in this park.
He said at the back of the Gardens.
back of gardens has some offices of Ministry of Agriculture. If they are moved, the road could pass there. i just hope they dont destroy the steps .. people use it for exercise and for taking pics as well.
Alas, we do not practice innovative long-term physical planning, either for Roseau or elsewhere. What we make do with are spur of the moment decisions that take us from one mistake to another.