Dominican Republic Completes Major Hydraulic Works in 2025, Investing Nearly RD$1.2 Billion

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The Dominican Republic government, through its National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), completed a series of hydraulic infrastructure projects in 2025 across several provinces, investing nearly 1.2 billion Dominican pesos to safeguard vulnerable communities and boost agricultural irrigation.

These works, undertaken by INDRHI under the direction of Olmedo Caba Romano, were part of President Luis Abinader's commitment to protect lives, property, and agricultural production. Key beneficiaries included the provinces of Santiago, Monseñor Nouel, Peravia, Ocoa, and Azua.

In Santiago province, INDRHI rehabilitated a 215-meter section of the Monsieur Bogaert canal and constructed three gabion terraces. These efforts, costing 110.5 million pesos, protect the water conduit and its intake structure, benefiting five aqueducts and 140,000 tareas of land.

Monseñor Nouel saw the channeling of the Yuna and Masipedro rivers to manage larger water volumes. Gabion walls were also built along both riverbanks to provide protection against flooding at a cost of 217.5 million pesos.

In Peravia province, work on the Baní River included channeling a three-kilometer stretch with slope lining and gabion reinforcement on both banks. Additionally, INDRHI cleaned, adapted berms, and repaired gates on the Marcos A. Cabral canal. The total investment for these projects reached 186.5 million pesos.

Azua province received significant investment, with INDRHI adapting and protecting the banks of the Las Cuevas River in Padre Las Casas and the La Salsa gully in Las Yayas de Viajama. These initiatives cost 451.2 million pesos. During the handover ceremony for these protective works, President Luis Abinader also announced rehabilitation efforts for the El Carrizal and Las Yayas irrigation systems. He highlighted progress on the fourth stage of the Azua II Pueblo Viejo agricultural development project, which involves a 12-kilometer underground canal designed to supply water to Las Charcas, Hatillo, and Estebanía municipalities, bringing 80,000 new tareas into production.

In Ocoa province, INDRHI adapted a 2.6-kilometer section of the Nizao River as it passes through Rancho Arriba. The project included constructing discontinuous gabion walls stretching 1.5 kilometers to protect communities, agricultural land, and the area's numerous greenhouses, with an investment of 219.9 million pesos.

INDRHI's 2025 operations and maintenance for irrigation systems totaled 489.6 million pesos. This included cleaning 1,119 kilometers of canals and drainage in irrigated areas nationwide, benefiting 89,359 users and their families. The work also encompassed rehabilitating 382.18 kilometers of roads and berms vital for farmers to access plots and transport produce to markets. Furthermore, 22 protective walls were reconstructed, and 96 pumps were repaired and installed across various national pumping systems.