ONESVIE calls for stronger earthquake-resistant construction laws in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.-  The National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE) has proposed strengthening and updating, through legislation, the earthquake-resistant construction standards that govern public and private buildings in the Dominican Republic, as part of a national strategy to reduce seismic risk. Its director general, Leonardo de Jesús Reyes Madera, explained that the country still relies on technical regulations approved in 1978, making their strict enforcement and modernization urgent given current structural and urban challenges.

Reyes Madera warned that many buildings have been constructed without permits or outside established standards, significantly increasing public safety risks. He stressed that both private developers and government contractors must comply with current regulations and that stronger, ongoing oversight by the Ministry of Housing and Construction is essential. He also noted that some construction professionals fail to act with the responsibility required, even ignoring minimum earthquake-resistance provisions.

The ONESVIE director emphasized the need to give legal force to seismic construction obligations, since their current basis in a presidential decree weakens enforcement and oversight. Speaking on the AcentoTV program “¿Y tú… qué dices?”, he highlighted ONESVIE’s technical role in evaluating building vulnerability and called for a stronger culture of prevention, regulatory compliance, and professional accountability to protect lives and infrastructure in high-risk seismic zones.