Climate Change in the Dominican Republic: Coastal Resources and Communities Other books in the Research and Ideas Series: Distance Education and Challenges by Heitor Gurgulino de Souza El Metro and the Impacts of Transportation System Integration in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by Carl Allen The Presence of Africa in the Caribbean, the Antilles and the United States by Celsa Albert Bautista et al. Empowerment of Women in Democracies of Developing Countries: The Experience of the Dominican Republic by Rosa Rita Álvarez Perspective of Mental Health Development in the Dominican Republic by Yosmayra E. Reyes Local capacity to benefit from globalization and increasing employment: the case of the Dominican Republic by Jose G. Caraballo The Dominican tax reform of 2012 in the historical and regional context by James E. Hahon Jr. Treating Parkinson's Disease Psychosis with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Henry Montero Dominican Republic and P.R. China: Exchange, Trade and Investment by Yuan Li Climate Change in the Dominican Republic: Coastal Resources and Communities Mat Rosa & Hilary Lohmann This publication is the result of the authors' participation in the Fellows GFDD Program. Mr. Rosa participated between January and February 2014, and Ms. Lohmann participated between June and July of 2014. Research and Ideas Series Environment This is a publication of gfdd and Funglode Global Foundation for Democracy and Development www.globalfoundationdd.org Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo www.funglode.org Climate Change Adaptation in the Dominican Republic: Impact on Coastal Resources and Communities Copyright© 2015 by gfdd-Funglode All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. ISBN: 978-9945-590-27-2 Editor in Chief Graphic Design Natasha Despotovic Sofía Cristina Tamayo Supervising Editor Collaboration Semiramis de Miranda Yamile Eusebio Mandy Sciacchitano Copy Editor Reyna Rodríguez Miryam López Loriel Sánchez Proofreading Casey Phillips Marc Jourdan www.gfddpublications.org Table of Contents Foreword ..........................................................................................ix Preface .............................................................................................xi Acknowledgements .......................................................................xv Mat Rosa .....................................................................................xv Hilary Lohmann .......................................................................xvi Coastal Resource Climate Change Adaptation in the Dominican Republic by Mat Rosa Abstract.........................................................................................3 Key Words ....................................................................................3 Acronyms .....................................................................................3 Table of Figures ............................................................................4 I. Introduction .............................................................................5 Introducing Concepts ........................................................7 II. Assembling a Governance Baseline Profile .......................11 First Order Enabling Conditions ...................................12 Case Study: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic .....14 III. Methods ...............................................................................16 Literature Review .............................................................16 Interview Instrument .......................................................17 IV. Findings ................................................................................21 Vulnerable Coastal Resources in the DR: Fisheries; Coastline; Seaports; Reefs ...............................................21 Sources of Governance: Government; Civil Society; Markets ..............................................................................26 Government: National; Regional; Local ......................26 Enabling Conditions ........................................................32 V. Limitations .............................................................................36 VI. Discussion ............................................................................36 VII. Recommendations ............................................................37 vi Research and Ideas Series VIII. Conclusion ........................................................................... 38 References ..................................................................................... 40 Appendices .................................................................................... 43 Appendix 1: Historical analysis of DR coastal management ........................................................................ 43 Appendix 2: Detailed Analysis- La Caleta Underwater National Park ....................................................................... 45 Appendix 3: Respondent Recruitment Letter.................. 49 Appendix 4: Interview Instrument ................................... 50 Appendix 5: Interview Instrument Results ...................... 53 Measuring Social Vulnerability & Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Coastal Communities of the Dominican Republic by Hilary Lohmann Abstract.......................................................................................... 63 Table of Figures ............................................................................. 64 Measuring Risk to Climate Change ........................................... 65 Vulnerability ........................................................................ 65 Resilience.............................................................................. 66 The Marshall et al. (2010) Method .................................... 67 Coastal communities of developing nations: Balancing natural resource dependence and occupational multiplicity ............... 69 Communities as integrated systems ................................. 72 Climate Change Impacts in the Dominican Republic ............. 73 Vulnerability Assessment to Climate Change in the Dominican Republic ........................................................... 73 Sensitivity in the Dominican Republic............................. 75 Comprehensive, Multi-scale Vulnerability Assessment . 76 Research Methodology ................................................................ 77 La Caleta/Boca Chica ......................................................... 78 Samana ................................................................................. 78 Montecristi ........................................................................... 79 Data Collection ................................................................... 80 Data Analysis ....................................................................... 82 Results ............................................................................................ 84 Table of Contents vii Factors that Describe Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity ................................................................................ 85 Comparing Direct and Non-direct Marine Resource Users ..................................................................................... 87 Comparing Individuals with and without Occupational Multiplicity ........................................................................... 88 Changes in Climate and Weather ..................................... 89 Perceived changes in climate/weather .............................. 91 Discussion ..................................................................................... 92 Factors of Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity ............. 92 Comparing Vulnerability across User Groups ................ 93 Exploring how Occupation Relates to Vulnerability ...... 94 Gaps in Awareness and Prioritization: the Marine and Coastal Environment in the Face of Climate Change .................................................................................. 95 Management Implications ................................................. 96 Conclusion .................................................................................... 98 References ...................................................................................100 Biographies .......................................................................................103 Mat Rosa ......................................................................................103 Hilary Lowmann ........................................................................104 GFDD.... ............................................................................................105 Funglode ...........................................................................................106 Fellows Program ..............................................................................107 ix Foreword The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (gfdd) in the United States of America and the Fundación Global Democracia and Desarrollo (Funglode), headquartered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, are dedicated to promoting research and awareness in areas crucial to the democratic, social and economic sustainable development of the Dominican Republic and the world. The two think tanks organize meetings, educational programs and research as well as generate studies and publications that contribute to the development of new perspectives, enriching public policy debate and