Conserving Biodiversity in Coastal Areas Threatened by Rapid Tourism and Physical Infrastructure Development : terminal evaluation

Abstract

Ecosystems and species in the Dominican Republic are subject to various forms of pressure and degradation, both within protected areas and in the surrounding landscapes. Tourism, both directly through infrastructure development and indirectly through the expansion of urban areas and increasing pressure from coastal populations, has led to degradation of coastal areas affecting the functionality of each of the coastal marine ecosystems: dunes, mangroves, seagrasses, wetlands, and coral reefs. The long-term solution proposed by this project is to effectively incorporate biodiversity conservation into the Dominican Republic's tourism sector and to strengthen the institutional, legal, and policy framework as well as management capacities needed to address the various threats. This document contains the final evaluation of the project.