Heavily affected by extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding and drought, the Dominican Republic is one of the world’s most sensitive countries to climate risk. Sustained heavy rainfalls in early 2014 have affected the provinces of Independencia and Bahoruco causing the flooding of the country’s largest lake, Lake Enriquillo. This has resulted in extensive damage to agriculture and pasture land, and affected the livelihoods of the local population.

To support 100 families affected by the flooding, to address their most immediate needs and enhance their resilliance towards climate change and extreme weather events,  UNDP and PEI-REFATTA launched a fund for ‘Credit Recovery and Adaptation to Climate Change in Lake Enriquillo’ on April 11.  

The affected families will be able to access loans from the fund that can be used to improve their lives and incomes in areas such as health, food, energy, agriculture, waste management, and water. Besides credit, the families will receive technical support in implementing climate change adaptive technologies.
The launch of this fund is the result of collaboration between UNDP, PEI-REGATTA, government institutions and civil society. The fund is implemented by World Vision and the Centre for Research and Popular Education (CIEPO).

PEI has worked in Dominican Republic since 2010 supporting the Government to reduce the vulnerability of poor households to climate shocks through integration of Poverty-Environment objectives in national and subnational development planning processes.

The launch of the fund received extensive coverage in the local media.

• Familias afectadas por lago Enriquillo reciben prestamos solidarios, Listín Diario, April 2014   
• PNUD apoya los afectados por lago enriquillo, Diario Libre, April 2014   
• PNUD pone marcha proyecto beneficiara cien familias afectadas por lago enriquillo, 7dias.com.do,  April, 2014   
• Duverge pnud pone en marcha proyecto, Ecos del Sur, April 2014     

Photo Credits: © FAO, Giuseppe Bizzarri