CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR WATER AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: FOCUS ON THE YAQUE DEL SUR BASIN

This report, commissioned by the UNDP and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), assesses climate risks and risk management capacity for the water and agriculture sectors in the Yaque del Sur basin of the Dominican Republic. It combines scientific modelling (WEAP and DSSAT) with participatory community consultations to identify vulnerabilities and propose concrete adaptation strategies.

• The Yaque del Sur watershed is the third-largest in the Dominican Republic and is characterized by extreme water stress and high poverty levels. Agriculture in the region primarily consists of tomatoes, maize, pigeon peas, green bananas, plantains, chillies, and eggplants.
• Observed climate trends in the Dominican Republic since 1960 show an average temperature increase of approximately 0.45°C and a rainfall decrease of about 4.5 percent per decade, although the consistency of the rainfall trend is disputed.
• Climate projections for the Yaque del Sur watershed suggest that by 2050, annual water availability will decrease by 8.8 percent (to 1,163 million m3) while demand increases to 1,682 million m3, potentially resulting in a water deficit of 519 million m3.
• Key crops in the basin, specifically tomatoes, maize, and chillies, are projected to face significant water deficits of approximately 200 mm over their crop cycles due to rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall.
• The Dominican Republic's adaptive capacity is hindered by low income, low education levels, and unequal land tenure, where 80 percent of farmers own less than 8 percent of the land.
• There is a critical lack of formal coordination between the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response (SNPMRD) and the agencies responsible for climate change adaptation, such as the Council for Climate Change and the Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL).
• Climate data management is fragmented, with the National Meteorological Office and the National Institute for Hydrological Resources (INDRHI) managing separate networks and not openly sharing data, which reduces the reliability of risk studies.
• Participatory workshops identified several priority risk management actions for the Yaque del Sur basin, including replacing maize and plantains with drought-resilient sorghum and mangoes, and climate-proofing unpaved access roads to ensure market access.
• Increasing irrigation efficiency from 20 percent to 45 percent in the watershed could reduce agricultural water demand by approximately 250 million m3 annually, potentially reducing the projected 2050 water deficit by about 50 percent in large-scale irrigation areas.
• Proposed nature-based solutions for the upper watershed include implementing agroforestry systems (coffee, avocado, and mango) and establishing a payment for ecosystem services scheme to fund reforestation and protect water catchment areas.

APA

Keller, M., & Zamudio-Trigo, A. N. (2013). CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR WATER AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: FOCUS ON THE YAQUE DEL SUR BASIN. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_dom_republic.pdf

Chicago

Keller, Marius, and Alicia Natalia Zamudio-Trigo. CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR WATER AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: FOCUS ON THE YAQUE DEL SUR BASIN. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_dom_republic.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Keller |first1=Marius |last2=Zamudio-Trigo |first2=Alicia Natalia |title=CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR WATER AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: FOCUS ON THE YAQUE DEL SUR BASIN |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_dom_republic.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{keller2013climate, author = {Keller, Marius and Zamudio-Trigo, Alicia Natalia}, title = {{CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR WATER AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: FOCUS ON THE YAQUE DEL SUR BASIN}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_dom_republic.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }