National Parks
The country has several tools for protecting its natural environment, including 19 national parks. These include
Cotubanamá National Park (formerly Parque Nacional Del Este): located in the south-east of the island, it protects both marine(Catalina and Saonaislands ) and terrestrial territory. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and rich in biodiversity, the park is home to one of the country's symbols: the Bayahíbe rose.
Jaragua National Park : located in the south-west of the country and classified as a biosphere reserve by Unesco, this park is home to a wide variety of environments, including dry forests, lagoons and beaches.
Los Haitises National Park : located in the north-east of the country, this park is renowned for its stunning seascapes, including the Samaná peninsula, its caves and mangroves, and its humpback whales, which can be seen for part of the year.
A territory subject to natural risks and anthropic pressures
Industrial agriculture - especially the monoculture of sugar cane - contributes to the degradation and pollution of natural environments, but also to the drying up of watercourses. Gold mining also generates numerous environmental impacts, including deforestation and cyanide contamination of water. Deforestation in the country is an issue of concern, as it contributes to the decline of biodiversity, the reduction of carbon stocks, and soil erosion. Climate change is also leading to a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, such as cyclones, floods and droughts.
Initiatives in favour of the ecological transition
The Dominican Republic has taken steps to overcome its dependence on imported fossil fuels by developing renewable energies (biomass, wind and solar power), which by 2022 accounted for over 20% of the country's energy mix. The Dominican government has announced that it will be able to increase this proportion to 44% by 2030 (to be continued). Agroecology initiatives have undoubtedly flourished in the country, with agricultural cooperatives organizing free training courses, particularly for women. In 2017, farmers' collectives also succeeded in having a draft law on the use of GMO seeds withdrawn, prohibiting farmers from using their own seeds. Organic crops are also developing in the country (bananas, sugarcane, chocolate).
The invasion of sargassum or the symbol of planetary pollution
The beaches of the island are periodically confronted with the stranding of sargassum. The proliferation of these brown algae generates, in addition to economic repercussions, environmental impacts and health risks. This phenomenon would be linked to intensive agriculture in Amazonia. Massive deforestation and the intensive use of inputs - phosphates and nitrates - generate soil leaching, whose effluents end up in the river and then in the ocean, where they create favourable conditions for the development of sargassum. The currents then carry the algae to the Caribbean Sea. In response to this situation, booms are installed off the beaches.
Travelling differently
Tourism is also associated with environmental impacts. However, it is possible to limit one's ecological footprint by favouring soft mobility, a rational use of resources, or a "zero waste" approach. Buying local and staying with local people is also a way to travel differently. We should also think about alternatives to chemical filter sun creams, which have deleterious effects on the marine environment.
