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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MDG7
Progress Towards Environmental Sustainability
Santiago
San Francisco de Macorís
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Caribbean Sea
La Romana
The degradation of natural resources in Dominican Republic has been a
major challenge to achieving the MDGs. A governmental satellite image
study showed an increase in deforestation from 14.1% in 1990 to 27.5% in 1996.The implementation of public policies
aiming to reduce deforestation rates led to the enlargement of protected areas. In 1998 around 16.2% of the
Dominican Republic’s territory fell under protected area legislation and by 2000 this rate increased to 19%.
In 2000, the Dominican Republic was able to provide access to safe drinking water services to 86% of the total population.
If the population growth rates continue as expected, and inadequate urbanization policies persist, achievement
of Target 10 of MDG 7 will become a more difficult challenge.
Lack of environmental statistical information has made it difficult to measure the proportion of the population living in slums. In
order to set national standards regarding Target 11 of MDG 7, there is a pressing need for increased allocation of economic
resources.
The environmental legal framework in Dominican Republic was reformed and updated to include MDG standards, but it is facing
political instability and detached policies. The new legislation will serve as a foundation from which to develop policies towards
equity, justice and social participation, if economic development programmes and sustainable development polices are effectively
interlinked.
QUICK FACTS
CURRENT PORTFOLIO BUDGET
Total UNDP-GEF and Co-Finance: $13,130,103
Total MPU and Bilateral: $595,000
Total: $13,725,103
HAITI
Santo Domingo
Achievement of the MDGs in the Dominican Republic will require
integration of fiscal policies to generate economic incentives
towards sustainable development. Strong institutions and investment
in human capital, especially women, will be fundamental to
accomplish these goals. 1
Cumulative Total ODS Phased-Out:
233.3 ODP tonnes
SPOTLIGHT
Protecting Forests Using Mirco-hydropower for Domestic and School Lighting 2
Approximately two million people in the rural areas of the Dominican Republic have no access to electricity. Without electricity,
communities are isolated with little opportunity for economic improvement. In the El Limon Community, situated in the
mountains west of Santo Domingo, villagers used to harvest wood for making charcoal, rapidly depleting forest resources. Poor
quality kerosene was also the main source of energy for lighting, leading to severe problems of indoor air pollution.
The community initiated the construction of an irrigation system to pipe water into the village from a stream six km away with
the financial and technical support of a local NGO in the early 1990s. In 1997 a local organization, representing El Limón
received US$ 27,500 from the GEF Small Grants Programme to support a 1-year project to establish a micro-hydropower
scheme, built by the community, to provide electricity for lighting homes and the local school. Electricity produced by the water
during the day is used at the school, where it powers computers and lighting. At night, the electricity is used for lighting homes.
Later in the project, the Inter-American Foundation donated money for laptop computers and video equipment and helped to
set up Internet access at the school that does not depend upon telephone lines.
As a result of the project, households no longer use kerosene. Instead, they rely on hydroelectric power, thereby reducing GHG
emissions. In addition, since the hydroelectric system was built, the people of El Limón have begun to protect the local forest,
as it provides a filtering system for the area’s sparse rainfall, without which hydroelectric power generation would not be possible.
El Limón has also begun an educational campaign to inform other local communities about the importance of protecting
the forest.
CLIMATE CHANGE
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