The approval of the General Law of the Environment and Natural Resources, No. 64-00, in August of 2000, began a new stage in the management and preservation of the environment and natural resources in the territory of the Dominican Republic.

The law, product of a consensus between the public and private sectors, gave birth to the creation of the Secretariat of State of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARN), highest managing body on the subject.

Protected Areas

In addition, it defined the National System of Protected Areas, composed of 70 units of conservation classified in 11 management categories and subcategories. The conservation units protected, which cover 937,820 km2, join representative portions of the majority of the main ecosystems in Dominican territory and more than 90% of the species reported. Later, in 2004, the Sector Law of Protected Areas, No. 202-04, was approved.

Law 64-00

Law 64-00 also established a wide agenda of reforms and actions, for which various secretariats of the State and city councils of the country take responsibility. In addition, it instituted the production of environmental statistics, for which a basic list of 108 variables was established. The agreed common list incorporates statistics on air, water (surface and underground), seas and coastal lands, lands/soils, biota, solid waste, urban environment, energy, natural disasters, agriculture, environmental management and expense and five basic reference statistics (urban and rural population, total territorial area, GDP, public spending and investment).

Defense of the Dominican Environment

In addition to the official institutions, local and international non-governmental organizations work actively in the defense of the Dominican environment and natural resources. The efforts are also oriented toward reaching the goals set in the area for the Millennium Development Goals.

International agreements

A series of international agreements, which include the signing of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer of 1985, impose multiple and demanding environmental regulations upon the official administration for the good of the country. Other legal initiatives are in the process of writing and/or approval, like the Law of Biodiversity and Protected Areas, sent to the National Congress.

Fundamental problems

Fundamental problems in the sector arise from the disappearance of native habitats in Haiti; the danger of extinction that at least 10% of all species in the country face; exposure to natural dangers, such as hurricanes, floods and droughts; the contamination of urban air, mainly from motor vehicle emissions and the generation of electric energy; and the degradation of the environment in the coastal areas, among other factors.

Related Links

• El Foro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas