Dominican Republic environmental protection debate

The Dominican Republic is experiencing internal debate regarding environmental protection and the safety of activists. In mid-October, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill in its first reading to establish June 6 as National Environmental Defender Day. This legislation seeks to honor those protecting natural resources and mandates the creation of protection protocols for activists facing risks, alongside annual reports on threats and criminalization faced by defenders.

By late October, reports indicated an increase in tree cutting across both urban areas like Distrito Nacional and rural regions such as Baní. This trend has brought renewed attention to Decree 615-26, issued by President Luis Abinader in September, which aims to combat “environmental terrorism” by targeting those damaging national parks. While the government uses the decree to refer aggressions to the Public Ministry, critics have noted that the decree defines rather than creates new crimes. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the lack of protection for urban green spaces, with studies showing low tree coverage in the Distrito Nacional.