Earth Today | Climate money helps vulnerable Dom Rep communities change course

VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES in the rural province of San Cristóbal in the Dominican Republic have, in recent years, faced intense climate impacts and rainfall variability that risk water and food resources, while also threatening lives and livelihoods. A climate change adaptation project is looking to help them change course.

Implemented by the Dominican Institute of Integral Development and funded by the Adaptation Fund, the project aims to increase resilience to flooding and drought impacts; and improve water supply and access, water storage and infrastructure, sanitation services and reforestation activities aligned with sustainable land use. It is also to build institutional and local adaptation capacity; and diversify livelihoods while enhancing gender equality.

“More than 24,000 people are expected to benefit from improved water supply and storage – half of them women. Others are expected to benefit indirectly through technical assistance in areas such as ‘Mucha Agua and LaCole’, and it is expected the project will also benefit the trade industry by increasing demand for goods and services from the investments,” noted an article published by the fund in its ‘Adaptation Story’ feature.

According to the fund, the adaptation initiatives are conditioned to the local context and backed by analyses and strategies to strengthen the capacity of vulnerable people to the efficient use of water, risk management, protecting the local ecosystem and ensuring food security for families. Disseminating knowledge of climate change and its impacts is also a key aspect of the project, backed by a participatory social approach to its implementation.

“A communications strategy was designed that includes training, information and message dissemination to enable beneficiaries to understand the importance of their participation as agents of change, especially highlighting the role of women and turning around rigid gender norms and power imbalances as a means of increasing resilience in people,” the article said.