Dominican Republic: Security Perspective from Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Policies

Abstract

In the last decade, the vulnerability to climate change impacts has motivated a shift in the Dominican Republic’s legislation, turning climate change matters into a political concern. This chapter reviews the country’s perceptions of human, ecological and national security in relation to climate change for the time period 2000–2020. In the Dominican Republic, human security is a well-developed concept, as the country prioritises protecting the lives and physical integrity of the people in the national territory, the productive structure, goods, and the environment in the face of possible events, as stated in its disaster risk policy. In terms of ecological security, the country strives to protect its natural resources, key ecosystems, and biodiversity, and implement measures for environmental management and reduction of CO₂ emissions. The country has many legal tools regarding ecological and human security which will be analysed in this paper. In contrast, the national security debate is less common, yet has become more important in recent years, especially in relation to the country’s border with Haiti and expected climate-driven migration. Fundamentally, Dominican Republic faces climate change with a series of instruments to enhance disaster risk management, promote climate change adaptation and mitigation, protect resources and livelihoods, and build resilience as this Caribbean nation lays the foundations for evolving towards sustainable development.

Ana Sofia Ovalle, Independent Consultant, Dominican Republic; e-mail: anaovalleosorio@gmail.com.