WILLEMSTAD - After signing the agreement between the Government of Curaçao and the company "Heuverman Ibis", the government took a concrete step to convert the mangrove area near the Rif into a park. The agreement was signed by the Director of the Infrastructure and Spatial Planning sector Ms. Manuel and the representatives of Domain Management in the presence of Minister Zita Jesus-Leito (VVRP). In 2016, the above-mentioned company won the public tender to make the Mangrove Park healthy and transform it. The Mangrove Park is being transformed within the framework of the Rif Development Program that forms part of Curaçao's Growth Strategy.

"The city center of Curaçao has an enormous cultural and historical value and the Rif area forms part of it. In the context of the construction of the Rif of the future, we must create a healthy area for the community of Curaçao and visitors to our country so that they can enjoy it. The Mangrove Park is being converted into an ecological park that local people and tourists can use for walking or canoeing," the minister said.

Mangrove Park I is located north of the CPA cruise terminal, south of Courtyard Marriott, west of the Benie Leito swimming pool and east of the Rif Stadium. The park is very polluted and is being cleaned so that the mosquito plague and the dirty air are eliminated.

The work is carried out in two phases. The first phase is the cleaning work and the dredging of the Mangrove Park. This phase lasts six months and is scheduled to start in the second half of June 2019. The second phase follows immediately afterwards. In it, the necessary installations are put in place to build routes in the park where canoes can sail, and people can walk. This phase also lasts six months.

According to the minister, it is very important that young people can find work in such large projects. That is why contact has already been made with the relevant authorities to guarantee the participation of the Curaçao community.

This project is a good example to show how Minister Jesus-Leito works with her ministry on sustainable development of the area and a balance between nature and economy.