Dominican Republic : country note on climate change aspects in agriculture

Abstract

This country note briefly summarizes information relevant to both climate change and agriculture in the Dominican Republic, with focus on policy developments (including action plans and programs) and institutional make-up. Like most countries in Latin America, the Dominican Republic has submitted one national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a second one under preparation. Land use change and forestry are large contributors to greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions within the sector. The emission reduction potential is large and several reforestation programs have been initiated. The Dominican Republic does not count with Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the agricultural sector, thus carbon trading opportunities can be explored. Agriculture is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, this coupled with problems of land degradation in the country. A greater emphasis on developing and applying adequate insurance mechanisms can be placed for better management of public resources in light of natural disasters in the agriculture sector.