Dominican Republic

The Fund is currently working on three programmes in the Dominican Republic. The largest of the three is the Drinking Water and Sanitation Investment Programme (DOM-001-M), which is being implemented in several provinces of the country with a total budget of 47.8 million euros (half of which is donated by the FCAS). It is part of the Fund’s multilateral portfolio, so management is carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in conjunction with the National Institute of Drinking Water and Sewage (INAPA). This programme is now in the final phase of implementation and is expected to be completed in May 2022. To date, 94% of the grant has been executed and 99% of the resources have been committed. Work is currently focused on the San Cristóbal area. In 2021, the design of the remaining works was completed, which will enable improvements in water production, distribution and operation for the province as a whole through the reinforcement of the commercial policy. There has been significant progress in the number of water and sanitation customers, as well as in the amounts billed and collected, which is essential for sustainability. Progress has been made in the areas of commercial management and user awareness. The work was carried out in accordance with strict safety protocols, which ensured the water supply during the pandemic.

On the other hand, and very much focused on the aspect of Integrated Water Resources Management and institutional strengthening, the Programme for Supporting the Drafting of the National Plan for the Sustainable Use of Water Resources in the Dominican Republic, Phase I (DOM-017-B), which received a donation of 893,700 euros, is underway. It began implementation in October 2020 and aims to support the drafting of the National Hydrological Plan of the Dominican Republic, oriented under the IWRM approach, and to generate the necessary technological tools for its management, as well as to develop capacities and provide training regarding its use. Among the activities carried out in 2021, it is worth mentioning that a delegation from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) and representatives of other Dominican entities visited Spain to meet with representatives of various organisations in the sector and to promote the exchange of experiences. During this time, the Programme’s progress is being shared with the “Water Resource Coordination Board”, an inter-sectoral coordination body that unites the various water-related bodies and strategies to achieve unified management, and with civil society through public consultations, so that the products are validated as they are generated.

Finally, at the end of December 2021, the implementation of the programme Ensuring the Human Right to Water by Reducing Vulnerability in the Municipal District of Pedro García, Santiago Province (DOM-018-B) began, a project which was approved at the end of 2020 and proposes to work in rural areas by implementing mitigation measures and strengthening the capacities of the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewage Corporation (CORAASAN) to ensure human rights to water and sanitation in the face of contingencies such as that arising from COVID-19. It is expected to be completed in June 2023