Experts analyze the challenges of agricultural drought in the Dominican Republic
The National Confederation of Agricultural Producers (CONFENAGRO) held the Agricultural Dialogue titled “Agricultural drought in the Dominican Republic: current situation and perspectives”. This meeting brought together high-level specialists to evaluate the impact of water scarcity on the sector and establish effective mitigation strategies for this recurring climatic phenomenon.
The event featured presentations by Digna Zorrilla, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture; Gina Rosario, from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); and Eleanor Ramirez, specialist from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The urgency of a model change in the face of the crisis
Wilfredo Cabrera, president of CONFENAGRO, underscored the relevance of these debate spaces, warning that, despite the country’s progress, critical decisions still remain pending to guarantee the efficient management of water resources. For her part, Digna Zorrilla emphasized that monitoring is constant through the Drought Committee, but warned that projections for 2027 are concerning due to the El Niño phenomenon, urging producers to adopt preventive measures, such as the construction of wells.
We have seen that drought is no longer an isolated emergency, but a structural condition. Resilience is planned, designed, and built before the crisis. And we must take into account that investing in natural capital and anticipatory action is investing in food security.
Gina Rosario, IICA
Towards a strategy of resilience and anticipation
The specialists agreed that the agricultural sector must abandon reactive responses to adopt a model based on resilience. This approach involves moving from simple recovery after a disaster to a structure of prevention, preparedness, and anticipatory action. Eleanor Ramírez, from the FAO, highlighted that since the agricultural sector accounts for 6.4% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), investment in preparedness is essential to protect farmers’ livelihoods.
- Institutionalization: Permanent preventive measures must be established that place the producer at the center of the strategy.
- Differentiated action: Mitigation measures must be adapted to the different capacities of producers, given that the impacts of drought do not affect everyone equally.
- Strategic planning: Drought must be treated as a recurring risk and not as a surprising eventuality.
This cycle of Agricultural Dialogues, which is held monthly, continues to consolidate itself as a key platform to generate inputs that strengthen the national debate and allow for the improvement of working conditions and productivity in the Dominican countryside.
