ATL

Coastal Capital: Dominican Republic

Case studies on the economic value of coastal ecosystems in the Dominican Republic

JEFFREY WIELGUS, EMILY COOPER, RUBEN TORRES, and LAURETTA BURKE (World Resources Institute)

Coastal and marine ecosystems provide many valuable services to the people and economy of the Dominican Republic. At first glance, these benefits can be difficult to see. Reefs and mangroves help to build beaches and slow erosion, draw local and international tourists to the coast, and provide habitat for valuable recreational commercial fish. Unfortunately, these services are often overlooked in key development and policy decisions. As a result, coastal ecosystems are threatened by unsustainable coastal development, pollution, overfishing, and other local and global pressures.