Page 8 - ARUBA BANK

A14 LOCAL
Monday 9 deceMber 2019

The importance of investing in sustainability

By students of the University of Aruba

ORANJESTAD — On the 18th of October, a the strategic use of agriculture and sustain-
group of 22 students departed from Aruba ability in urban areas. The fact that Aruba,
to Washington D.C., capital of the United as a small island, imports most of its food
States of America. The program Organi- makes us susceptible to food insecurity. In
zation, Governance and Management fact, a few goals of CAUSES is to improve
(OGM) at the University of Aruba offers food security and safety, expand alterna-
students the opportunity to participate in tive energy solutions, and mitigate climate
this biennial educational excursion. As change. We found these goals to be very
students, we had the tremendous oppor- relatable for us as islanders. The farm re-
tunity to visit various governmental offices, searches different methods of sustainably
organizations, museums, memorials, and grown vegetables, such as aquaponics
the University of the District of Columbia and hydroponics. Aquaponics uses fish
(UDC). Our highlights, in particular, include and their waste as plant fertilizer while the
the visits to UDC, the UDC Firebird Research water is filtered and reused. Hydroponics
Farm, and the Inter-American Develop- is the use of water rather than soil to grow
ment Bank (IDB). vegetables. Although the methods do
have both pros and cons, students were
The visits to UDC and the Firebird Research fascinated to learn about these farming
Farm gave us insight on how current and options. We found hydroponics to be an
future communities can play their part attractive method as Aruba’s landscape is
in creating sustainable communities. As very desert-like without much arable land,
part of the College of Agriculture, Urban and methods like these can allow us to
Sustainability & Environmental Sciences grow organic food and increase our food
(CAUSES), the farm conducts research on security. Much of the farm is powered by

solar energy, a resource he explained the nega-
that we in the Caribbean tive effects of countries not
need to make more use of having the necessary re-
to play our part in mitigat- sources for sustainable de-
ing climate change. velopment. The bank aims
to improve social inclusion
At UDC we had the oppor- and equality, productivity
tunity of getting a lecture and innovation, economic
and tour regarding sus- integration, gender equal-
tainability from Dr. Sabine ity and diversity, climate
O’Hara, Dean and Director change and environmen-
of Land-grant Programs for tal sustainability.
CAUSES. We were asked
questions as to how we The excursion gave us
can harvest more with a the chance to make new
limited amount of space. friends, learn more about
We were reminded to be the history and other cul-
conscious of the food we tures through visits to mu-
eat and throw away. UDC seums and memorials, such
focuses on how urban as the Library of Congress,
spaces, such as rooftops, National Museum of Afri-
can be converted and can-American History and
used to grow crops instead Culture, the Holocaust Me-
of wasted space. We were morial Museum, and Na-
shown how the CAUSES tional Museum of American
building was reinforced to History. Most importantly,
support the weight of the the visit to Washington D.C.
rooftop garden, demon- proved to be educational
strating that there are solu- and stimulating for us as
tions to problems such as OGM students.
lack of space.

Moreover, at the Inter- We find the importance of
American Development sustainability at present and
Bank (IDB), we received a in the future to be a topic
presentation by Björn Kuil, that Aruba has to acknowl-
who explained that IDB edge and promote. As
helps countries invest in students and future young
various areas for the future. professionals, we hope to
As the Dutch representa- do as much as we can to
tive and Senior Counselor support those working for a
in the Board of Directors, better community.q