Private sector investment in conservation and coastal resilience in the Caribbean

Abstract

Solutions to coastal ecosystem-based challenges must shift from managing individual sectors to an integrated perspective of interconnected ecological and socio-political systems. The Caribbean region and the Dominican Republic (DR) in particular are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. The DR’s extended coastlines, conservation, and adaptation efforts experience a large funding gap, providing an opportunity for private sector players to step in. This report aims to inform the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) on major climate change impacts, which continue to endanger the DR’s natural resources, infrastructure, and coastal communities. These impacts affect livelihoods and economic development in the country. The report examines the potential for private sector investment projects in conservation and building coastal resilience in the DR. The report focuses on identifying possible entry points that DFC can leverage to advance its portfolio by exploring existing or potential private sector opportunities to conserve, protect, and advance resilience, biodiversity, habitats, and coastal communities in the country. Key climate-sensitive sectors identified are tourism, energy, biodiversity/marine ecosystem, and fisheries.