Estimated investments needed to address climate change in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Tourism and water are important contributors to the GDP of the Dominican Republic, and both will be affected by climate change. There is consensus among climate change scenarios that the region will see increases in temperature and sea-level rise, prolonged periods of drought and an increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes. At the same time, energy availability is the backbone of the country, and has significant potential not only for mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs), but also for savings of expenditures. According to a recently finalized assessment, US$ 4.45 billion will be needed to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the tourism and water sectors, while activities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector will lead to savings of US$ 7.10 billion