Investor Presentaiton

BACKGROUND The Dominican Republic is a developing country, considered middle income, which occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The territory of the Dominican Republic consists of steep mountains and highlands, interspersed with fertile valleys. The climate, typically tropical, presents great diversity due to the orographic characteristics of the territory, spacing from the perhumid of the areas exposed to the trade winds, to the arid- pre-desert of the leeward areas to the main mountain chains. Seasonal variations in rainfall are observed, with severe storms experienced from June to October. The majority of the population lives along the coast (1). The Dominican Republic is one of the most exposed countries in the world to disasters caused by natural phenomena and, as such, is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Natural disasters have had a huge financial impact in the Dominican Republic, since individual hurricanes have cost up to 14% of gross domestic product (GDP) in damages (2). Climate change is anticipated to increase the risk of extreme weather events, variations in precipitation, sea level rise, destruction of marine habitats, and rising temperatures. For human health, these changes could have significant direct and indirect detrimental effects, among which are: impacts in terms of food and water insecurity, in the generation and supply of electricity, population displacement, death, injuries and mental health due to extreme weather events, loss of livelihoods and the spread of vector-borne and waterborne diseases. The Government of the Dominican Republic recognizes the country's vulnerability to climate change and is actively working to increase its resilience. In 2015, the government submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC. Adaptation to climate change is identified as a constitutional priority in its NDC. Health is identified as a key sector to address the greatest vulnerabilities to climate change and it is also recognized that public health is severely affected by extreme weather events, with future climate changes that represent major threats to the population's health (3). HIGHEST PRIORITY CLIMATE-SENSITIVE HEALTH RISKS FOR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Direct effects Health impacts of extreme weather events Heat-related illness Indirect effects Water security and safety (including waterborne diseases) Food security and safety (including malnutrition and foodborne diseases) Vector-borne diseases Air pollution Allergies Diffuse effects Mental/psychosocial health Noncommunicable diseases Mitigation actions to reduce emissions through sustainable procurement Mitigation measures to reduce emissions of health facilities Mitigation measures by coordinating with other sectors Source: Adapted and updated from the PAHO Health and Climate Country Survey 2017 (4) Dominican Republic 3

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