Dominican Republic

In the last decades, the levels of coverage of improved drinking water and sanitation services in the country have increased significantly but suffer from serious deficiencies in the quality and continuity of services.

A high %age of the population does not receive the supply service of drinking water continuously.

The level of permanent access to the service varies by area of ​​residence and, mainly, by level socioeconomic status of families.

The %age of the Dominican population that counts with access to water from the public network, inside or outside housing is around 93% with a significant access gap between the urban and rural population.

In 2019, 96% of the urban population had access to water of the public network, a proportion of only 76.8% in the population from the rural area.

The proportion of the population using safely managed sanitation services, including facilities for hand washing has been calculated around 54.4 %.

The volume of water distribution increased about 2% from the arrival of the pandemic (march) to December 2020 and, at the same time, the financial situation of the public institutions in charge of the water and sanitation services weaken.

A set of initiatives have been carried out aimed at institutional strengthening of the organizations responsible for the drinking water and sanitation sector; to the development of new network infrastructures to expand the coverage of drinking water, sanitary and rain sewerage services, and wastewater treatment.

Actions to ensure the proper maintenance of the infrastructure of said services and promotion of citizen awareness about the rational use of water resources and solid waste management.

The government is organizing a process of dialogue with the institutions that provide water services, civil society, private entities and the affected communities in order to arrive at the National Water Pact, for which it has prepared a proposal for a «National Commitment for Water 2021-2036 ». In the discussions and commitments that will be reached, emphasis will be placed on:

1. Sustainable management and institutional framework of the sector
2. Adequate protection and conservation of water ecosystems
3. Efficiency, resilience and sustainability of water
4. Prioritization and strategic use of the resource, which guarantees access for human consumption, protection of sectors vulnerable and the productive diversification of the resource.
5. The valuation of water as a basic and indispensable resource for the life, health and dignity.
6. Efficient, equitable supply and with high standards of quality of drinking water and sanitation services.

Read the full report here: VNR_Report_Dominican_Republic

*The information reflected on this page has been taken directly from the official VNR received from this Member State. The information does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations.