Background

The Dominican Republic’s mountain, valley and coastal-marine ecosystems underpin the nation’s high level of endemism, its economy and the well-being of its population. The assessment finds that protected areas generate an estimated US$3–6 billion per year in ecosystem services, while highlighting significant pressures: 116,680 hectares of forest were converted to other land uses between 2006 and 2018, mangrove cover declined from 293 km² in 2012 to 270 km² in 2022, and around 70% of the country’s beaches show signs of erosion.

The assessment also documents the contribution of local and traditional knowledge, including the testimonies of rural and coastal communities and the role of women, to understanding ecosystem change, and presents the recently launched Dominican Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (PDBES) as a mechanism to strengthen the science-policy-practice interface for biodiversity in the country.
This global webinar will present the key messages and policy-relevant findings of the National Ecosystem Assessment of the Dominican Republic to an international audience. It will provide an opportunity to hear directly from members of the assessment team and government partners and to discuss how the findings can support national planning, biodiversity conservation and evidence-based decision-making in the Dominican Republic.

Target Audience

This webinar is organized as part of the Sub-Global Assessment Network (SGAN) and is relevant to government representatives, policymakers, researchers, academia, civil society organizations, local and traditional knowledge holders, private-sector actors, development partners, media, students, youth, and ecosystem assessment practitioners from the Dominican Republic and around the world.

Event Format and Registration

This virtual webinar will be held on Zoom in Spanish and English, with simultaneous interpretation available in English, Spanish and French. Access to the online event will be provided to all pre-registered participants.

Click here to download the concept note and agenda.

Please register for the event below: