Dominican Republic - Environmental Priorities and Strategic Options : Country Environmental Analysis

This report discusses the affects of rapid economic growth and increased urbanization on the environmental quality of the Dominican Republic's natural resource base (e.g., water resources management--water quality, quantity and watershed management and solid waste collection and disposal have become major environmental concerns). It notes that the lack of systematic data limits an accurate and detailed assessment of the scope of the problems, however, the consensus is that: (i) the overall poor quality of surface, groundwater and coastal water resources is the result of a lack of waste water management and agricultural run-off, causing health problems that disproportionately affect the poor; (ii) water scarcity is a regional problem resulting from poor demand management in irrigation, urban water supply and tourist infrastructure in drier regions; (iii) weak watershed management leads to soil erosion and amplifies the damage and frequency of flooding; and (4) the overall lack of solid waste management pollutes water sources, causes disease and is a nuisance for both inhabitants and visitors. To rectify these problems, the country established the Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARN) in 2000, bringing all public institutions dealing with environmental issues under one roof. The World Bank has supported SEMARN through a Learning and Innovation Loan, and SEMARN has made significant progress since its inception by issuing environmental regulations, standards and impact assessment procedures, among other reforms and improvements. This report provides some indicative priority setting the Government could adopt or adjust in function of political and economic factors.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2004-06-29
Subjects:	ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER, ACCESS TO SANITATION FACILITIES, ACCESS TO WATER SUPPLY, ADEQUATE PROVISION, ADEQUATE SUPPLY, ADEQUATE WATER, ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY, AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AIR POLLUTION, AQUATIC LIFE, AQUEDUCTS, AQUIFERS, AVAILABLE WATER, BOD, CADMIUM, CAPACITY BUILDING, CARBON, CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILD MORTALITY RATES, CIVIL SOCIETY, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, CLEAN WATER, COASTAL AREAS, COASTAL WATER, COASTAL WATERS, COLLECTION PERFORMANCE, COMMERCIAL WATER, COMPETITION FOR WATER, COMPETITION OVER WATER, CONSENSUS BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, CONTAMINATED WATER, CORAL REEFS, COST OF WATER, COST RECOVERY, COST RECOVERY MECHANISMS, CUBIC METERS, DEFORESTATION, DEMAND MANAGEMENT, DISCHARGE, DIVERSION, DOMESTIC USE, DROUGHT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC FACTORS, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC VALUE, EFFLUENT, EMISSIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM, ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, EROSION CONTROL, EXPLOITATION, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMS, FINANCIAL RESOURCES, FINANCIAL VIABILITY, FISH, FISHERIES, FLOOD PROTECTION, FORESTRY, FRESH WATER, FRESHWATER RESOURCES, GROUNDWATER, GROUNDWATER ABSTRACTION, GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT, GROUNDWATER RESERVES, GROUNDWATER RESOURCES, HEALTH PROBLEMS, HEAVY METALS, HIGH LEVELS, HOUSEHOLD USE, HOUSEHOLDS, INDUSTRIAL AREAS, INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS, INDUSTRIAL SOURCES, INSURANCE, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, IRRIGATION WATER, LAND DEGRADATION, LAND USE, LEGISLATION, LIMESTONE, LITERS PER CAPITA PER DAY, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, MANGROVE, MERCURY, METROPOLITAN AREAS, MORTALITY RATE, MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER, MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT, MUNICIPALITIES, NATIONAL INCOME, NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES, NATURAL RESOURCE BASE, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, NITROGEN, NUTRIENTS, OIL, ORGANIC MATTER, PERMITS, PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS, PESTICIDES, PIPED WATER, POINT SOURCES, POLLUTERS, POLLUTION, POOR WATER QUALITY, POPULATION GROWTH, POTABLE WATER, POTABLE WATER SUPPLY, POVERTY LINE, POWER GENERATION, PRECIPITATION, PROTECTED AREAS, PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, PUBLIC STANDPIPE, QUALITY, QUANTITY, SAFE DRINKING WATER, SALINITY, SANITATION FACILITIES, SANITATION FACILITY, SANITATION SERVICES, SEA, SEAWATER, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SEWERAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, SEWERAGE SYSTEM, SOIL EROSION, SOLID WASTE, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, SURFACE WATER, SURFACE WATER RESOURCES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, URBAN AIR POLLUTION, URBAN AREAS, URBAN WATER, URBAN WATER SUPPLY, WASTE WATER, WASTEWATER, WASTEWATER DISPOSAL, WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT, WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WATER, WATER ALLOCATION, WATER AVAILABILITY, WATER BODIES, WATER CARRYING CAPACITY, WATER CHARGES, WATER COMPANIES, WATER COMPANY, WATER CONNECTIONS, WATER CONSUMPTION, WATER DEFICITS, WATER DEMAND, WATER LAW, WATER POLLUTION, WATER PRICING, WATER QUALITY, WATER QUANTITY, WATER RESOURCE, WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, WATER SANITATION, WATER SCARCITY, WATER SERVICE, WATER SHORTAGES, WATER SOURCE, WATER SOURCES, WATER SUPPLY, WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS, WATER USE, WATER USER, WATERSHED, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, WATERSHEDS, WELLS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/06/4935212/dominican-republic-environmental-priorities-strategic-options-country-environmental-analysis https://hdl.handle.net/10986/15678
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!