Reliable access to safe water saves lives, improves livelihoods, and makes communities more resilient. While the Dominican Republic’s economic dependence on agriculture and tourism require effective natural resource management for the overall welfare of the population, the country faces threats from external environmental stressors.

With tourism focused on coastal areas representing nearly 20% of the economy, current and future economic growth are dependent on the governments and the communities’ ability to effectively balance the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of water ecosystems. The livelihoods of many rural communities, however, are dependent on the country’s natural resources, and have limited access to disaster risk mitigation practices. Vulnerable communities, particularly those along the Dominican Republic-Haiti border, are among the poorest in the country and have the most limited access to basic services, including water. Water security indicators show that the country is approaching thresholds of water stress and is already experiencing water conflicts and shortages.

Environmental degradation not only affects the welfare of Dajabón communities, but is also exacerbating cross-border conflicts, displacing people, and reversing development gains along the border. The frequency and severity of meteorological threats such as tropical storms, floods, reduced precipitation, and droughts is threatening water resources, reducing aquifer recharge and water availability, destroying farms and livelihoods, and exacerbating food security, especially for marginalized communities.