Monte Grande Dam project in Dominican Republic faces delays and cost overruns

The Monte Grande Dam, built on the Yaque del Sur river and inaugurated in January 2024, has entered its 16th year with significant controversy. The original 2009 contract of US$354.2 million has been increased by more than US$234 million after five addenda, bringing the total to US$588.9 million. Critics say design changes, such as the removal of a lateral irrigation canal, will prevent roughly 250,000 agricultural plots from receiving water, undermining the economic benefits promised to the southern provinces of Barahona, Azua, Bahoruco and Independencia.

Communities displaced by the reservoir—including Monte Grande, Los Güiros, San Simón and La Meseta—have received new housing but still await promised agricultural land parcels. Local leaders and the Coalition Enriquillo argue that compensation is insufficient and that promised farmland has not been allocated. The National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) attributes delays to technical and environmental constraints, citing the proximity of the project to the La Gran Sabana National Park and the Enriquillo lake basin.

The pending complementary works, lack of a firm completion date, and rising costs have intensified public debate over the dam’s real impact on regional development and water management.