Dominican Republic and India strengthen their cooperation in renewable energy and disaster management
New Delhi– The Dominican Republic and India agreed to strengthen their collaboration in the fields of renewable energy, meteorology, and disaster management, in the context of the visit to India of Mr. Max Puig, Executive Vice President of the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL), and Carolina Sánchez, in charge of international relations at the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Both officials traveled to India to attend the 7th session of the annual Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
In the context of the assembly, the Dominican delegation held a meeting on November 3 with the Director General of the ISA, Dr. Ajay Mathur, who expressed gratitude for all the support received from the Dominican Republic, where the ISA regional meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean was held last September. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss cooperation projects for the Dominican Republic with the support of the ISA, such as the installation of solar panels on the roofs of public schools, the establishment of floating solar panels on dam reservoirs, and the use of photovoltaic energy to facilitate agricultural irrigation.
Mr. Max Puig also held bilateral meetings with Mr. Krishna Vats from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and Mr. Amit Prothi, Director General of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The cooperation agenda with these three institutions included an agreement for a high-level commission visit to India in the first quarter of 2025. This commission, consisting of experts from the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET), and the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism, will aim to learn firsthand about India's experiences and advancements in meteorology, early warnings, disaster management and response.
Mr. Max Puig also agreed with CDRI on the forthcoming start of a cooperation program through which experts from the coalition, based in India, will contribute to the assessment of the status of the Dominican Republic's critical infrastructure and make recommendations for its improvement.
The Dominican Republic has been strengthening its early warning systems with national and regional projects funded by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure under its Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) program. India and the Dominican Republic also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2024 for cooperation in meteorology between the IMD and INDOMET.