The Road to BiodiverCities - Central America and the Caribbean
This is the third meeting in the cycle of events on BiodiverCities led by CAF in various cities around Latin America and the Caribbean. It will feature experts from Central America and the Caribbean in order to share knowledge, experiences and good practices that help consolidate an urban management model in harmony with nature.
Event date:
June 14, 2022

A biodivercity effectively and comprehensively incorporates local and regional biodiversity into its urban planning and management, as the backbone of its socioeconomic development.
According to the World Economic Forum and the Humboldt Institute, BiodiverCities can restore the balance between urban management and nature, by expanding green infrastructure; improving governance schemes that promote nature-based solutions; creating positive links between rural and urban areas, for better biodiversity conservation; prioritizing circular economy models and innovative actions for economic competitiveness; while promoting well-being and health values among citizens.
On this occasion, CAF and the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism propose addressing the role of sustainable tourism in the enhancement of urban ecosystems, analyzing the main challenges for coastal and island cities and promoting an exchange of practices and experiences that enable the use of competitive advantages in tourism, through an environmentally-friendly territorial planning model.
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. (Dominican Republic)
Online event. The event will be streamed on this website.
program
program
June 14, 2022
Opening remarks
Speakers:

Ángel Cárdenas
General manager of urban development, water and creative economies, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

Carlos Andrés Peguero
Vice Minister of Tourism for International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic
Ángel Cárdenas

General manager of urban development, water and creative economies, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-
Manager of urban development and creative economies for CAF- Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-. He previously served as a director for the energy projects for the South Region at CAF. Angel Cardenas is an Eisenhower Fellow at Eisenhower Fellowships, a forum that brings leaders from around the world to spend several weeks meeting with experts in their fields of interest throughout the US in the spirit of making the world more peaceful, prosperous, and just. Cardenas has worked for the World Bank, Universidad Central de Venezuela, and the University of Toronto.
Carlos Andrés Peguero

Vice Minister of Tourism for International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic
Presentation “BiodiverCities for a sustainable tourism”
Speakers:

Hernando García Martínez
General Director of the Humboldt Institute, Colombia
Hernando García Martínez

General Director of the Humboldt Institute, Colombia
Presentation “Re-thinking tourist territorial planning in the Dominican Republic”
Speakers:

Shaney Peña
Director of Planning and Projects, Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic
Shaney Peña

Director of Planning and Projects, Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic
Session 1 - Dialogue “Land use planning in coastal areas
Moderator: Elia Martínez, Department of Beach Management, Ministry of Tourism, Dominican Republic
Speakers:

Surella Segú
Chief Heat Officer de Monterrey, Arsht-Rockefeller Resilience Center

Allison Wiggins
Deputy Project Manager, Office of Coastal Zone Management, Barbados

Mizoocky Mota
Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, Dominican Republic
Surella Segú

Chief Heat Officer de Monterrey, Arsht-Rockefeller Resilience Center
Allison Wiggins

Deputy Project Manager, Office of Coastal Zone Management, Barbados
Mizoocky Mota

Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, Dominican Republic
Coffee-break
Session 2 - Dialogue “Restoration and preservation of natural assets in favor of a sustainable tourism”
Moderator: Oscar Rueda, Director, Office of the President, CAF
Speakers:

Carlos Martínez
Mayor of Nicoya, Costa Rica

Maribel Escobar
Mayor of La Palma, El Salvador

Emiliano Torres
Mayor of Bocas del Toro, Panama

Carmen Paz
Mayor of San Nicolas, Honduras
Carlos Martínez

Mayor of Nicoya, Costa Rica
Maribel Escobar

Mayor of La Palma, El Salvador
Emiliano Torres

Mayor of Bocas del Toro, Panama
Carmen Paz

Mayor of San Nicolas, Honduras
Break
Session 3 - Dialogue “Biodiversity as a determinant of greater tourism competitiveness”
Moderator: Angel Cardenas, Manager of Urban Development and Creative Economies, CAF -development bank of Latin America-
Speakers:

Jimmy Cruz
Alcalde de Curridabat, Costa Rica

Issis Núñez
Mayor of Guayape, Honduras

Desdra Bascombe
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, Trinidad and Tobago

Martina Pepén Santana
Governor of the Municipal Council of Higüey, Dominican Republic
Jimmy Cruz

Alcalde de Curridabat, Costa Rica
Issis Núñez

Mayor of Guayape, Honduras
Desdra Bascombe

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, Trinidad and Tobago
Martina Pepén Santana

Governor of the Municipal Council of Higüey, Dominican Republic
Signing of the Adherence Agreement of the Declaration of Barranquilla
Closing Remarks
Speakers:

Sergio Díaz-Granados
Executive President, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-
Colombia

David Collado Morales
Minister of Tourism, Dominican Republic

Raquel Peña Rodríguez
Vice-president of the Dominican Republic
Sergio Díaz-Granados

Executive President, CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-
Colombia
Sergio Díaz-Granados has extensive experience in public and private service, both nationally and internationally, with special emphasis on regional development and integration issues. Before assuming the presidency of CAF, he served as Executive Director for Colombia at the Inter-American Development Bank. He previously held the positions of Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, Vice Minister of Business Development and President of the Boards of Directors of Bancóldex and ProColombia. He also has been a congressman and chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Colombia’s House of Representatives.
David Collado Morales

Minister of Tourism, Dominican Republic
Raquel Peña Rodríguez

Vice-president of the Dominican Republic