Spanish
Between 2020 and 2024, the Government signed more than 25 loans with objectives related to climate change and sustainability
Every time it rains heavily, the country confirms a known reality: the Dominican Republic remains highly vulnerable to flooding. Storm Melissa once again brought this to light. In Santo Domingo Oeste, the Guajimía canal overflowed again, affecting communities that live a few meters from the riverbed, despite the multiple announcements of sanitation and the million-dollar loans approved for that purpose.
The problem isn't the lack of funding. Since 2020, the Dominican State has committed more than $4,000 million in international loans linked to climate change, risk management, environmental sanitation, and resilience. If the loans signed between 2012 and 2020 are added, the figure exceeds $6,000 million. However, the effects of those investments are still difficult to identify in the territory.
Guajimía is an emblematic case. In 2020, a loan of 54 million dollars was approved specifically for its sanitation. To that amount are added about 200 million dollars invested in the last two decades with the same objective. Even so, during the recent downpours, the ravine overflowed again, causing floods in adjacent sectors and reopening a recurring question: what has been achieved with those resources?Poorly visible results
Between 2020 and 2024, the Government signed more than 25 international loans with objectives related to climate change and sustainability. These include 80 million dollars for resilient agriculture, 250 million for the electricity system, 140 million for sanitation in tourist areas and more than 900 million for coastal management, solid waste and climate action. In 2024, new commitments were added, including $400 million from the Inter-American Development Bank, $50 million for coastal sanitation, and $45 million for waste management. Overall, the commitments exceed $4 billion in just five years.You can also read: US$4,000MM in loans for climate change
That same year, the country placed its first sovereign Green Bond, for 750 million dollars, presented as a milestone towards a sustainable economy. The funds were intended for clean transportation, renewable energies, and adaptation to climate change. However, months after the issuance, there is no detailed public report that allows knowing precisely the destination of those resources or their environmental or social impact. More debt, the same risks In addition to bilateral and multilateral loans, the Dominican Republic participates in international climate funds. In March 2025, the ACT Plan of the Climate Investment Funds was approved, with 85 million dollars to boost the energy transition. After Hurricane Fiona, the World Bank granted 200 million dollars for recovery and risk management. Added to this is the IDB Climate Program, aimed at facilitating access to green bond markets. The result is a persistent paradox: more debt to face climate change, but vulnerabilities that repeat with each rainy season. From a legal and institutional point of view, projects financed with loans must meet clear requirements. All public investment must be registered and approved by the National Public Investment System, under the direction of the Ministry of Finance, and have monitoring, supervision, and accountability mechanisms. This is established by Law 200-04 on Free Access to Public Information, Law 247-12, the Constitution, and the control framework of the Comptroller General of the Republic and the Chamber of Accounts.Scattered information, difficult-to-measure impact
Despite this regulatory framework, information on climate financing remains fragmented. Neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Ministry of Environment publishes periodic impact reports that allow for an assessment of how much has been executed, in which projects, and with what concrete results.A mapping published by Participación Ciudadana in 2023 identified 22,000 million pesos in international cooperation for climate change between 2014 and 2023, mainly donations and technical assistance. Although these funds do not generate debt, the report warns that the projects are reported in an aggregated manner, without detailing beneficiaries or measurable results, which makes it difficult to evaluate their effectiveness.
The country has a National Measurement, Reporting and Verification System, created by Decree 541-20, but its financial component is not yet fully operational. Consequently, there is still no public platform that allows for a clear tracking of where the money destined for climate action comes from and how it is used.Every rain as a test
On paper, the Dominican Republic has solid instruments: Law 64-00 on the Environment, the National Development Strategy 2030, and international commitments on climate. In practice, every heavy rain becomes a trial by fire. If there are sanitation loans, why do the same ravines collapse? If there are funds for waste, why do open-air landfills persist? If there is debt for resilience, why do the most vulnerable communities continue to flood? In five years, the country has committed more than $4 billion to address climate change. But while the debt grows, resilience continues to be, for thousands of Dominicans, a promise that is not yet reflected on the ground.
