World Water Day: Is there enough for the Dominican population?

Santo Domingo — According to authorities and water sector specialists, more than 25,000 million cubic meters of rainwater fall annually in the Dominican Republic, an amount that would fully guarantee the needs of its population.

However, experts agree that problems in distribution, storage, and lack of conservation in watersheds prevent the country from benefiting from this water availability.

“Since water is not regulated, neither the forest, nor in the dams, due to the lack of works, then only 15% of all that water can be counted. A country that has that amount of rainwater regulated is insecure from a water point of view; at least 30% is required,” says Silvio Carrasco, director of the Water Management Unit of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).

The document “The Future of Water in the Dominican Republic” addresses the country’s capacity to guarantee its water security. It was prepared by the Dominican Government as part of the socialization of the National Water Pact, signed in 2023.

“Analyses show that the availability of water is sufficient to meet the demand for the main services until 2050, as long as radical changes are made in the management and use of the resource, especially eliminating the level of dispersion and the absence of coordination between the institutions linked to the resource,” the report details.

This diagnosis of the water situation emphasizes the need to increase the “regulation and storage capacity, as well as the main conduction and distribution works.”

It adds that water “is unevenly distributed in space and time in the national territory, as it is subject to pressure due to its use due to human activities and climatic factors.”

It indicates that in the Dominican Republic, a significant water gap (supply and demand) is being generated due to the uncontrolled increase in water demand and the decrease in supply caused by climate change and the overexploitation of the resource.

The water gap in 2016 was estimated at 333 cubic meters per second, and if adequate measures are not taken, it will be 240 m³/s by 2025. 

The authorities have determined that more than 50% of the causes of water problems in the territory’s watersheds are related to poor water management.

“Theoretically, we would have enough water for our country, but we are doing everything possible not to have it,” says engineer Martín Meléndez, a professor at the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (Intec).

“There is a large part of the upper basin that is deforested. We are playing with the source of our rivers and that is a serious danger,” he notes.

The former director of Indrhi, Silvio Carrasco, agrees with Meléndez’s point that water must be produced in the mountains and stored in the lower part of the basin.

Referring to the actions developed by the authorities for the conservation of watersheds, Juan Sierra, from the Vice Ministry of Soils and Water of the Ministry of the Environment, indicates that this entity is working on the management plans of five prioritized basins: Yaque del Norte, Yaque del Sur, Nizao, Yuna, and Ozama, which occupy 44% of the national territory’s area.

“The Ministry is carrying out soil conservation works, reforestation and setting up the basin councils, in addition to interacting with the surrounding population about the importance of these watersheds,” he says.

Hydrographic regions of the Dominican Republic

• Yaque del Sur

The Yaque del Sur Hydrographic Region comprises seven provinces: Azua, San Juan, Elías Piña, Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia, and Pedernales. According to the diagnosis, it houses various uses and activities that must share water resources, such as agriculture, human consumption, hydroelectric generation, animal consumption, and agribusiness.

These activities are carried out from the upper part of the basin to the mouth of the Yaque del Sur Rive in Neiba Bay, “generating pressure on water resources and aquatic ecosystems.”

• Atlantic

The Atlantic Hydrographic Region extends through Puerto Plata, Espaillat, Samaná, and María Trinidad Sánchez. It is located in an area with a very variable water regime, ranging from the eastern part, with high rainfall of 1,500 millimeters, to the western end, with rainfall of less than 1,000 millimeters per year.

According to the document, water use is low due to the lack of regulation and storage. In addition, pollution and inefficient resource use are growing problems.

The region consists of San Pedro de Macorís, El Seibo, La Altagracia, La Romana, and Hato Mayor.

It has the highest groundwater potential in the country, but its use is limited due to the lack of infrastructure. Demand from the tourism sector and saline water intrusion are emerging issues.

• Ozama-Nizao

The Ozama-Nizao region includes the provinces of Peravia, San Cristóbal, Monte Plata, San José de Ocoa, and Santo Domingo.

The diagnosis details that, in some of the region’s basins, the progressive reduction of annual flows is maintained, generally caused by the seasonal decrease in rainfall, the variation in temperature, and the increase in the demand for water resources.

It is the region with the largest population in the country and is highly contaminated by surface and underground water bodies. The lack of infrastructure for storage and regulation of flows limits their use.

• Yuna-Camú

The Yuna River basin includes the provinces of La Vega, Duarte, Monseñor Nouel, Sánchez Ramírez, and Hermanas Mirabal. It also transfers water resources to the Nagua River basin in the Atlantic region.

The document indicates that this region still has sufficient flows to supply current demand but faces increasing pressure due to extreme weather events and the contamination of its water sources.

• Yaque del Norte

The Yaque del Norte River basin extends through four provinces: Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, Valverde, and Montecristi. As a hydrographic region, it also includes the province of Dajabón.

This region has a significant water deficit and high pressure on available resources due to agricultural and industrial demand. Contamination has been identified in several areas, impacting water quality.

World Water Day

The theme of World Water Day 2025 is “Glacier Conservation”.

According to the United Nations, glaciers are essential for life. Their meltwater is vital for drinking water, agricultural, industrial, and clean energy production, and ecosystem health.

The rapid melting of glaciers causes water flows to become uncertain, with profound repercussions for the planet and its inhabitants.