Indrhi highlights Water Pact as key to Dominican Republic’s water security

Spain.- The Dominican government is strengthening coordination to ensure water supplies for different sectors through the Water Cabinet, according to Olmedo Caba Romano, executive director of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (Indrhi).

Speaking at the 27th Conference of Ibero-American Water Directorates and Authorities (CODIA) in Zaragoza, Spain, Caba highlighted the Dominican Water Pact 2021–2036 as a long-term commitment to improve water governance, management, conservation, and resource protection.

He said the Water Observatory and the Committee for the Operation of Dams and Reservoirs (Copre), led by Indrhi, coordinate operational decisions to improve the use of water resources and strengthen water security.

Caba identified several challenges, including increasing the country’s forest cover, improving the management of upper and middle river basins, modernizing agricultural production, approving a national water law, and adapting water management to climate change.

He also called for greater participation by water users and recommended that CODIA promote a regional initiative encouraging countries to use hydrological planning as a tool for water management and governance.

During his visit to Spain, Caba also held a working meeting at the Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works (Cedex) in Madrid to advance plans for a national hydraulics laboratory. The facility would support research, physical modeling, and testing of hydraulic infrastructure in collaboration with Dominican universities.

The Dominican delegation also visited Canal Isabel II in Madrid to study Spain’s experience in urban flood management, stormwater storage, and water resource administration.