# Dominican Republic environmental protection and enforcement

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/dominican-republic-environmental-protection-and-enforcement
> Updated: 2026-09-07T14:40:33.000Z. Sources: 47. Developments: 2.

The Dominican Republic has intensified its legal and regulatory approach to environmental protection. Through Decree 615-26, President Luis Abinader declared the fight against “environmental terrorism” a matter of high national interest and strategic priority. This decree targets the systematic destruction of national parks, watersheds, and mangroves, establishing that individuals responsible for intentional damage to protected areas could face prison sentences of 20 to 30 years.

The government has mandated increased coordination between various ministries and intelligence agencies to implement a National Prevention Policy. This includes addressing the lack of official state property titles for many national parks and establishing reporting channels for environmental threats.

Concurrently, environmental organizations are utilizing the judiciary to enforce climate and energy mandates. Groups such as the Comité Nacional de Lucha Contra el Cambio Climático have appealed to the Constitutional Court to ensure the government meets renewable energy targets and Paris Agreement commitments. Additionally, the Public Ministry has taken direct enforcement action by halting illegal construction in the Rivera del Río Jaya Ecological Park due to a lack of environmental permits.

## Claims

- The Public Ministry halted illegal construction activities within the Rivera del Río Jaya Ecological Park in San Francisco de Macorís. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The construction violated the 30-meter linear margin of the Jaya River established by Law 64-00. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The construction work was being conducted without the required environmental impact studies or state permits. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Comité Nacional de Lucha Contra el Cambio Climático and Insaproma have filed a request for judicial review with the Constitutional Court. (single source)
- The organizations are seeking compliance with environmental, climate change, and energy transition laws. (single source)
- The legal challenge includes the mandate for renewable energy to reach 25% of the national electricity matrix by 2025. (single source)
- The 4th Chamber of the Superior Administrative Court previously rejected the environmental protection injunction. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-07: Dominican Republic environmental groups appeal to Constitutional Court

Environmental groups in the Dominican Republic have appealed to the Constitutional Court to enforce climate laws, while authorities halted illegal construction in the Rivera del Río Jaya Ecological Park.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dominican-republic-environmental-groups-appeal-to-constitutional-court

### 2026-09-02: Dominican Republic declares fight against environmental terrorism a national priority

The Dominican Republic has declared the fight against “environmental terrorism” a national priority via Decree 615-26, introducing potential prison sentences of 20 to 30 years for damaging protected areas.

42 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dominican-republic-declares-environmental-terrorism-a-national-priority

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Cite as: Dominican Republic environmental protection and enforcement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/dominican-republic-environmental-protection-and-enforcement