KRALENDIJK – The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) has received a significant financial boost from the Dutch Postcode Lottery: an additional €1.7 million on top of their annual support of €500,000. These funds will be used to protect and restore vulnerable natural areas on the six Dutch Caribbean islands: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.

The cheque was presented by Jonne Arnoldussen, Managing Director of the Postcode Lottery, to DCNA Director Arno Verhoeven during the organization’s annual board meeting on Bonaire. Representatives from nature conservation organizations across all six islands were also in attendance.

Caribbean Nature Under Serious Threat

Nature in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including mangrove forests and coral reefs, is under severe pressure due to climate change, pollution, overfishing, and invasive species. These ecosystems are essential for biodiversity, provide protection against storms, and serve as a key source of income through tourism. Their loss has both ecological and economic repercussions.

Focus on Cross-Island Projects

The additional funding enables the DCNA to implement large-scale, cross-island projects. The focus is on restoring mangroves and terrestrial vegetation, in collaboration with local partners such as STINAPA (Bonaire), CARMABI (Curaçao), and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten. The World Wildlife Fund Netherlands (WWF-NL) supports these initiatives with expertise and additional funding.

Arno Verhoeven, Director of the DCNA, highlighted the importance of the contribution:
“Thanks to this additional support, we can implement projects that benefit nature across all six islands. We thank the Postcode Lottery and its participants for their crucial role in protecting these unique areas.”

Hellen van der Wal, Chair of the DCNA Supervisory Board, also pointed to improved governance within the organization as a factor in the Postcode Lottery’s trust:
“These additional funds enable us to make an even greater impact on nature conservation across all the islands. We will live up to this trust.”

Jonne Arnoldussen from the Postcode Lottery emphasized the necessity of the contribution:
“The nature in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom deserves protection. These additional funds enable critical projects on all six islands, where funding opportunities are often limited.”

With this extra financial boost, the DCNA aims to secure a safe and sustainable future for the nature and communities of the six Dutch Caribbean islands.