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

The report identifies significant climate risks in the Yaque del Sur watershed, where high exposure to hurricanes, floods, and droughts intersects with high poverty and low adaptive capacity. Modelling suggests that by 2050, the annual water deficit could reach 519 million m3, threatening key crops like maize and tomatoes. While the Dominican Republic has established disaster risk and climate change frameworks, the report finds a lack of coordination between these structures and deficiencies in data sharing. Recommended priority actions include shifting to drought-resilient crops (sorghum and mangoes), increasing irrigation efficiency from 20% to 45%, and implementing payment for ecosystem services to promote reforestation in the upper watershed.

• The Yaque del Sur watershed is the third-largest in the Dominican Republic and faces extreme water stress, serving as one of the country's poorest regions where agriculture is a primary livelihood.
• Observed climate trends since 1960 show an average temperature increase of approximately 0.45°C and a disputed rainfall decrease of about 4.5% per decade.
• Water scarcity is projected to worsen significantly, with the model estimating a water deficit that could increase from 343 million m3 in 2010 to 519 million m3 by 2050.
• Key crops in the region, specifically tomatoes, maize, and chilies, are expected to face increased water deficits of approximately 200 mm over their crop cycles due to rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall.
• Adaptive capacity in the Yaque del Sur watershed is insufficient due to low income, low education levels, and lack of land ownership, which hinders investment in sustainable farming.
• 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 and hazard data in the Dominican Republic are patchy, inconsistent, and difficult to access because different agencies, such as INDRHI and the National Meteorological Office, do not openly share information.
• Replacing maize with sorghum and plantains with mangoes in the lower watershed could reduce crop evapotranspiration by 16% for the entire watershed, saving approximately 87.2 million m3 of water in specific sub-catchment areas.
• Increasing irrigation efficiency from the current 20% to 45% could reduce agricultural water demand by approximately 250 million m3 annually, potentially reducing the projected 2050 water deficit by about 50% in large-scale irrigation 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} }