The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, signed on Monday the Dominican Water Pact 2021-2036 (Pacto Dominicano por el Agua 2021-2036), considering it essential for life as water is a vital resource.
"If we are signing it today, it is because we need immediate action in the short, medium and long term and by society as a whole," Abinader said.
He pledged to invest around US$600 million a year in water starting with the next budget. The pact involves various sectors and commits to 38 actions to ensure water resources in the Dominican Republic, covering its management, preservation and care.
The pact was the result of consultations and dialogues throughout the country, which identified challenges such as the lack of regulation, institutional dispersion, scarcity and deterioration of water, among others. The pact's commitments include considering water as a public and strategic good, approving a Water Law, valuing water in its social, economic and environmental dimensions, developing watershed restoration plans, and promoting environmental education.
President Abinader stressed the importance of efficient water management, while the Minister of Economy spoke of the need to protect, guarantee and regulate the resource. In general, an integrated approach to water management and the modernisation of infrastructures is sought in search of sustainability and equity in water management.
