ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AAN) — Concerns over the Agri-Innovation Park environmental impact Aruba have intensified, as environmental advocate Kinsasha Thielman-van der Bliek urged Prime Minister Mike Eman, Parliament, and relevant institutions to take responsibility and reassess the project.
According to Thielman-van der Bliek, large-scale projects such as the Agri-Innovation Park pose significant risks to Aruba’s environment, particularly to its fragile flora and fauna. She stressed that protecting nature requires a deep understanding of the long-term environmental consequences, not only immediate economic benefits.
“It is essential that we know what can and cannot be done to our environment and that we act with caution and respect,” she emphasized. “If we truly want to protect our environment, we must fully understand the impact of large projects—not just today, but in the long term.”
She warned that many of the environmental impacts may not be immediately visible, but could emerge later with irreversible consequences.
Thielman-van der Bliek also called on parliamentarians who genuinely care about environmental protection to raise the issue formally in Parliament and to exercise oversight over Minister Geoffrey Wever, who is leading the development of the project.
According to her, formal letters have already been sent to both Parliament and Prime Minister Mike Eman outlining these concerns. She stated that the Prime Minister has both a responsibility and a legal obligation to review the Agri-Innovation Park project and, in his role related to environmental stewardship, must take action to safeguard Aruba’s natural environment.
