Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure VROMI Egbert Doran has now formally established the recently-announced first Nature Policy Plan for country St. Maarten. This plan aims to serve up until the end of 2025 as a foundation for “sound decision-making” and provide support for the allocation of resources and funds for nature conservation.
About time, some observers would say. After all, according to the National Nature Ordinance (“Landsverordening grondslagen natuurbeheer en bescherming” (A.B. 2013, GT no. 809), the minister of VROMI is required to establish a national Nature Policy Plan (“Natuurbeleidsplan”) and a Nature Plan (“Natuurplan”) once every five years. But the fact of the matter is that none of Doran’s predecessors have done so, while the island’s environment has rapidly declined in the face of unregulated and badly planned development. So, Doran should be commended for signing this first policy plan.
But this is only a first step. According Article 2 of the above-mentioned National Ordinance, parliamentary approval is needed. This debate is yet to take place.
MPs would do well to focus on the fact that the spatial development plans for the different areas in St. Maarten have not yet been finalised. Without these plans, unregulated development is likely to continue to the detriment of the country’s environment. With an estimated 300 requests for building permits per year, there is a real risk that there will be little left of the island’s green hills in the next 10 years.
Another area of concern is the fact that VROMI has for years been understaffed. Without enough inspectors to ensure any further building stays within the boundaries of sustainable economic development, the declaration of lofty goals in a policy will just remain empty words on paper. Enforcement will require clearly-defined penalties for stepping out of bounds.
For years keeping the island clean has been the focus of a few well-meaning non-profit organisations like Pride Foundation and Nature Foundation. The latter organisation is in fact deeply involved in advising VROMI. Their cries in the wilderness appear finally to have found the ear of a willing listener in Minister Doran. The ball is now in the court of our people’s representatives.
