The Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has released the GEO 2024 Report, raising red flags about the country’s escalating environmental challenges — including desertification, land degradation, and water scarcity.
According to the report, agriculture and livestock account for 82.3% of the nation’s total water consumption, placing immense strain on already limited water resources. The analysis also highlights that mass tourism and the effects of climate change are significantly contributing to environmental deterioration across the country.
One of the most alarming findings warns that up to 70% of the Dominican Republic’s soil could suffer degradation if immediate and effective mitigation measures are not implemented.
The GEO 2024 report provides a comprehensive overview of the current environmental landscape in the Dominican Republic and calls for urgent action to prevent long-term ecological and economic consequences.
At a time when several mining exploration firms seek to start exploitation, including gold mines and rare earth element lands in the southwest, the report does not include considerations on the impact of mining in the Dominican Republic. The Ministry of Environment has been issuing permits for expanded mining.
The 2024 report is a follow up of the report presented in 2022.
The launching of the report coincides with recent complaints by Arroyo Manzano neighborhood groups that the Ministry of Environment authorized a residential development that has destroyed the dense natural forestry in an area of around 65,000 square meters included in the green belt of the National District. The permission is now under investigation.
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2022 Report
21 August 2025