Dominican President Details Progress on Major Gurabo Stream Cleanup

SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic – President Luis Abinader announced Monday that a major environmental rehabilitation and sanitation project for the Gurabo Stream is 80% complete, representing an investment exceeding 3.265 billion Dominican pesos and directly benefiting over 12,000 families.

The initiative has also led to the organized relocation of more than 1,200 families into the Hato del Yaque housing development, while indirectly impacting over 900,000 people across the region.

Abinader shared these updates during his weekly press conference, 'LA Semanal con la Prensa,' held this week at the Gurabo Stream itself, a site formerly known as Hoyo de Bartola.

The comprehensive project spans 19 communities, featuring 2.6 kilometers of canal work and more than 8 kilometers of new wastewater collection networks.

Among its key achievements, officials report a 25% reduction in pollution flowing from the Gurabo River into the Yaque del Norte River. The area has also seen an 80% decrease in flooding, with hydraulic sections restored to mitigate overflow risks.

Beyond infrastructure, the president emphasized the project's profound social impact. He noted the elimination of nearly 30 drug sales points, a decrease in local violence, and improved school attendance rates. New public spaces, linear parks, and an urban ecological park have also been established.

The ongoing work includes the installation of new potable water, sanitary sewage, electricity, and telecommunications networks throughout the affected communities.

To ensure the project's long-term viability, Abinader announced the creation of a dedicated management body. This entity comprises representatives from public institutions, the private sector, neighborhood associations, and academic institutions.

The government also plans to allocate specific annual funds to solidify the initiative as a replicable model for sustainable urban intervention, aligning with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

Wellington Arnaud, director of the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewers (Inapa), hailed the Gurabo Stream project as the most significant social and environmental undertaking in the Dominican Republic's history.

Arnaud praised President Abinader's 'transformative vision,' highlighting how the project not only reshapes the physical environment but also improves the lives of thousands of families who previously endured overcrowded conditions and extreme poverty.

He pointed out that previous administrations had ignored the situation for over six decades. Arnaud noted Abinader made the 'historic decision' to intervene during the height of the pandemic, diverting and sanitizing the river while relocating families to create an unprecedented work that protects the environment and provides a safe, green, and dignified space for the community.