About Our Foundation

The Stichting ter Bestrijding van Geluidsoverlast (SBG) is a non-profit foundation that seeks to prevent and combat excessive noise in Aruba. The activities that the SBG performs are:

• Raise awareness about noise pollution
• Create, collect, and distribute information and resources regarding noise pollution
• Strengthen laws and governmental efforts to control noise pollution
• Establish networks among environmental, professional, medical, governmental, and activist groups working on noise pollution issues
• Assist activists working against noise pollution

The mission of the SBG is to create more civil cities and more natural rural and wilderness areas by reducing noise pollution at the source.

The Effects of Noise Pollution

Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause problems within the body. Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting damaged. Man made noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes and even vehicles can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our ear drums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.

Health Issues: Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and even in our homes can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise levels. These in turn can cause more severe and chronic health issues later in life.

Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to irritation and uncomfortable situations. Without a good night sleep, it may lead to problems related to fatigue and your performance may go down in office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.

Cardiovascular Issues: Blood pressure levels, cardio-vascular disease and stress related heart problems are on the rise. Studies suggest that high intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heart beat rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow. Bringing them to a manageable level depends on our understanding noise pollution and how we tackle it.

Trouble Communicating: High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two people to communicate freely. This may lead to misunderstanding and you may get difficult understanding the other person. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and  disturb your emotional balance.​

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