The main challenges

Due to its geographic location, the Dominican Republic is highly vulnerable to the impact of adverse events triggered by natural hazards or by human intervention. The project entitled ‘Strengthening the organizational and functional structures of Disaster Risk Management in the Dominican Republic’ sought to help reduce vulnerability and exposure to these threats.

Implementing actors and responsibilities

The project was coordinated by the National Emergency Commission and the Directorate-General for Multilateral Cooperation and financed by the European Union. It was carried out through the coordinated effort of the leaders and technicians of over thirteen institutions that participate in the National Emergency Commission.

A comprehensive project executed through more than twenty different actions

Over twenty actions have been carried out to achieve the three expected results of the project. In order to help foster a culture of disaster risk reduction, a national capacity-building plan for disaster risk management was developed for the National School of Risk Management, with a five-year implementation strategy. The project has enabled the execution of forty percent of this Plan, which translates into 30 training courses for over 1000 relevant actors at the local and national level.

Part of the project entailed the creation and launch of the National Integrated Information System (SINI), which aims to organize and leverage data about threats, vulnerabilities and risks in order to gage the capacity for response of institutions charged with managing disasters.

At the regional level, a regional Caribbean meeting welcomed 170 participants from 15 countries to exchange experiences and foster regional connections, collaboration and cooperation.

In order to strengthen resilience and local disaster risk management capabilities at the municipal level, as well as to promote sustainable development in vulnerable areas, an analysis was made of the Prevention, Mitigation and Response Committees, and high-risk human settlements were evaluated and prioritized. Furthermore, seven community networks were created, trained and ratified: 3 in Santiago de los Caballeros; 2 in San Juan de la Maguana and 2 in San Felipe de Puerto Plata.

In coordination with the National School of Risk Management, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo and the Caribbean University, over 121 evaluators were trained in safety indicators for critical infrastructure. They carried out practical evaluations of vulnerability, security and resilience levels.

An innovative country tool developed to determine security indicators for aqueducts was applied to 20 major aqueducts by simultaneous multidisciplinary teams including geologists, engineers, administrators and technicians from the service providers.

Additionally, in collaboration with the National Office for Siesmic Evaluation and Vulnerabilities of Infrastructure and Buildings, a standard methodology was designed and validated to assess the seismic vulnerability of infrastructure and buildings.

Promising results

Through its various actions and results, the project contributed to the strengthening, awareness, capacity building, equipping and empowerment of the actors involved in disaster risk reduction and of the institutions. This follows the Dominican government’s national policy, centered on territorial security with a sustainable, transformative and inclusive approach, to continue building a stronger and more resilient nation.

Project features

Year: 2014 – 2019

Implementing Agency: National Emergency Commission

Benefiting Zone: Dominican Republic

Funded by: The European Union through the Natural Disaster Risk Management Programme in the CARIFORUM.

Thanks to the “State of the Caribbean Climate (SOCC) Report: Information for Resilience Building” project implemented by the Climate Studies Group Mona of the University of the West Indies (CSGM/UWI), Caribbean stakeholders and other interested groups now have access to a one-stop reference document for climate variability and change in the region to support evidence-based planning, decision-making, and design and implementation of adequate climate change adaptation measures. By providing reliable and updated climate data, information, analysis and references, the SOCC Report should become the premise for actionable recommendations that will support climate proofing at national and regional levels. The Report will help accelerate resilience-building efforts in the Caribbean, specifically within the 19 Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

A Report well-received in the Region

Throughout the implementation of the project, stakeholder feedback on the SOCC Report has been very positive, confirming that the Report is a valuable resource for the region. It is vital to periodically update the SOCC Report to ensure its continued relevance.

Interactive Climate Smart Workshops

Two Interactive Climate Smart Workshops were delivered on the SOCC Report to equip BMCs stakeholders from climate sensitive sectors such as energy, finance, economic development, health and tourism to (a) effectively use the SOCC Report, and other resources, to assess the impacts of climate change on their sectors, and (b) integrate climate information into planning processes.  The workshops also aimed to facilitate capacity building, knowledge sharing and increased networking, and collaboration opportunities for attendees.  As part of the workshops, a public lecture, “Climate Matters” was delivered. The workshops were conducted from December 12-13, 2019, in Georgetown, Guyana and from February 27-28, 2020, in Nassau, The Bahamas.  The interactive Climate Smart Workshops continue to be one of the good practices and successes of the SOCC Project. Attendees rated the workshop content and presenters as excellent and useful for their individual countries, sectors and work programmes.

Project features

Year: 2017 – 2021

Total cost of the project: € 568 339

Implementing Agency: Climate Studies Group Mona of the University of the West Indies (CSGM/UWI)

Benefiting Zone: 19 Borrowing Member Countries of the CDB

Cooperation and technical assistance:

Funded by: The European Union through the Natural Disaster Risk Management Programme in the CARIFORUM.