Forests cover almost 40% of Dominican Republic’s total surface area. In recent years, the country’s tropical forests have been decreasing due to deforestation and forest degradation, driven primarily by small-scale agricultural expansion and the extraction of timber for exportation. Consequently, over the past 20 years, the Dominican Republic has ranked eighth on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.
National
The Dominican Republic’s national-level ER program focuses on reducing forest emissions and enhancing removals to help local communities and areas important for agricultural production, water supply, and biodiversity. The ER program is strengthening institutional frameworks and policies as well as supporting civil society and government programs that promote sustainable agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, with the aim of improving production on existing plots and stopping the expansion of the country’s agricultural frontier into forest areas. The program also promotes broader, integrated, and sustainable natural resource management through a mix of conservation, restoration, and sustainable production, including for forest products, coffee, and cacao.