Protected areas that buffer hurricanes are also among the most exposed in the Dominican Republic.
Santo Domingo – The same protected areas that serve as natural barriers against the effects of hurricanes and tropical storms are among the territories most exposed to the recurring passage of these phenomena in the Dominican Republic.
A report from the National Statistics Office (ONE) states that, between 1990 and 2025, some categories within the National System of Protected Areas experienced cumulative exposure to up to 20 cyclonic events, posing challenges for the conservation and preventive management of these ecosystems.
The document highlights that protected areas contribute to biodiversity conservation, water regulation, soil protection, and risk reduction. However, many are located in coastal, mountainous, and ecologically sensitive areas, which also places them directly exposed to the threats associated with tropical cyclones.
The most striking finding of the analysis is that the categories of Strict Protection Area and Habitat and Species Management Area were precisely those that registered the greatest historical exposure, with 20 hurricanes or tropical storms each.
National Parks follow, with 15 events; Protected Landscapes, with 12; Nature Reserves, with 10; and Natural Monuments, with six.
The figure shows that spaces created to preserve ecosystems of high environmental value have also been continuously subjected to phenomena that can damage vegetation cover and alter the natural conditions of those territories.
Hurricanes threaten strategic ecosystems
The ONE points out that tropical cyclones can cause flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and damage to vegetation, effects that are especially significant when they occur in areas designated for the protection of natural resources.
The report explains that these areas serve a dual purpose: while helping to mitigate certain impacts of atmospheric phenomena, they also face high exposure due to their geographical location.
The situation takes on greater relevance in a country that, due to its location in the Caribbean, lies along the recurring paths of tropical storms and hurricanes.
A map to anticipate risks
The study does not seek to determine the damage caused by each cyclone, but to identify which protected territories coincide with the historical trajectories of these phenomena, in order to determine patterns of recurrence and priorities for preventive management.
The ONE maintains that this information can serve to strengthen territorial planning and decisions related to conservation and disaster risk reduction.
In that sense, the data present an environmental paradox: the ecosystems that help protect the Dominican territory from the effects of extreme events also require stronger protective measures to withstand them.
