Last week, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) received an additional financial contribution from the Nationale Postcode Loterij. This contribution is in addition to the multi-year donation of 500,000 euros per year. The additional funding is of great importance for the work of DCNA and will be used for the protection and restoration of nature reserves in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Jonne Arnoldussen, managing director of the Postcode Loterij, handed over a check to DCNA director Arno Verhoeven in Bonaire. This took place during DCNA’s final board meeting of the year, which was attended by the nature conservation organizations from the six islands (St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao).
Nature reserves in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, such as coral reefs and mangrove forests along the coast, have been deteriorating rapidly in both quality and quantity in recent decades. The effects of climate change, pollution, overfishing, and invasive species are the main causes of this decline. The consequences are both ecologically and socially undesirable. These nature reserves are of great importance for biodiversity and play a crucial role in protecting the islands from the impacts of climate change. Mangrove forests, for example, help protect against the increasingly frequent tropical storms. Additionally, the natural reserves are an important source of income for the islands’ populations, as the coral reefs form a major tourist attraction.
With the additional 1.7 million euro contribution from the Postcode Loterij, DCNA can focus its efforts on projects that target several islands in order to achieve the maximum impact. Examples of these projects include the restoration of mangrove trees and terrestrial vegetation. This regional program is being developed and implemented in collaboration with DCNA’s local alliance partners across the six islands of the Dutch Caribbean: Aruba Conservation Foundation, CARMABI, STINAPA, Saba Conservation Foundation, St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA), and Nature Foundation Sint Maarten. The World Wide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) supports the program with expertise and funding.
Arno Verhoeven, director of DCNA, said: “This additional contribution is of tremendous value to DCNA and to the nature reserves that need our help. Thanks to the support of the Postcode Loterij and its participants, we can offer a secure and sustainable future for nature in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We would like to thank all the participants in the Postcode Loterij for their involvement.”
Recently, DCNA made great strides as an organization in terms of good governance and encourages the six affiliated organizations to continue following this example. Hellen van der Wal, Chair of the Supervisory Board of DCNA, is pleased with the governance efforts that have contributed to the trust the Postcode Loterij has placed in the alliance, which made this important additional contribution possible. “The Postcode Loterij can be confident that the contribution will be used wisely!”
Jonne Arnoldussen, managing director of the Postcode Loterij, stated: “The Postcode Loterij is proud to support DCNA in its mission to protect nature in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This enables the organization to make significant strides in preserving the unique nature of the Caribbean. This is also extremely important, as much of the available funding for the European part of the Netherlands is not accessible here, yet protecting nature is worth every effort.”
