UN pilot project on climate change education in the Dominican Republic |

UN CC:Learn: The United Nations climate change education initiative

History

Launched in 2009 at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, The One UN Training Service Platform on Climate Change (UN CC:Learn) is an initiative of 33 multilateral organizations working together to design and implement “country-driven, results-oriented and sustainable learning to address climate change”. (To read more please click here)

Objectives

The objective of the UN CC: Learn is to “foster knowledge-sharing and UN collaboration in designing, delivering and evaluating climate change learning activities and materials” and to support “strategic and result-oriented approach to climate change learning through multi-sectorial and multi-stakeholder collaboration” (For more information please click here)

UN CC:Learn in the Dominican Republic

A role model for the rest of the world

As 1 of the 5 countries in the world implementing this pilot projects on climate change education, the Dominican Republic brought together 11 government sectors (led by the Dominican Republic’s National Council on Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism), and non-governmental stakeholders to develop a Dominican National Strategy on Climate Change known officially as the “National Strategy to Strengthen Human Resources and Skills to Advance Green, Low Emissions and Climate Resilient Development” during a 24 month term (2011-2013).

History

Its launch was held at the Dominican National Palace in August of 2012. Former Vice-President of the Dominican Republic, H.E. Mr. Rafael Alburquerque, led the launch and stated, “Through the National Strategy, the Dominican Republic is initiating a long-term process to systematically integrate climate change learning in key sectors and strengthen capacities of national education and training institutions”. (For more on this event, please click here).

In 2013, Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, the Current Vice-president of the Dominican Republic, stated that, these actions also call “for national education systems and institutions to strengthen their capacities to offer relevant learning actions to support national climate change priorities”. Since then, the Dominican Republic- and other member states of UN CC:Learn- have made sure that their educational ministries not only implement new teachings on climate change, but also take on a part of the cost of implementation.

Achievements in Dominican Republic

During the span of the project, the Dominican Republic was able to:

Train over 400 teachers in how to teach climate change and actions to deter climate change to their students (for more information on this issue, please click here);
Train over 30 Dominican Journalists on the effects of climate change and how to mitigate climate change:
1. Determined that 90% of the Dominican Republic’s population is concerned with climate change;
2. Found that 89% of the population has previously gotten information on climate change through the media. (to find out more please click here);
Hold capacity-building workshops to promote and find financing for climate change projects (to read more please click here);
Launch the National Training Program Aimed at Strengthening Capacities to Integrate Climate Change into Education (to read more please click here);

Other Climate Change Initiatives in the Dominican Republic

In partnership with Germany, the Dominican Republic has put into effect their Plan for the Economic Development Compatible with Climate Change (DECCC) in which Germany contributed €4.5M (Euros) or RD $242M at the current exchange of 53.8 to 1 with the Euro. Currently the project is in Phase 1 of the DECCC and soon to be in Phase 2 centered around the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA). The NAMA plan for Dominican Republic plans to contribute to a reduction of 50% in greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2030.

NAMA plans are being put into effect around the globe, not only Dominican Republic. For more information on the NAMA plan in Dominican Republic and other nations, please click here.

Future of the UN CC-Learn in Dominican Republic
The most recent news on UN CC-Learn in Dominican Republic is from January of 2014 where the eight Presidents of the Central America Integration System (SICA) officially decided to help scale-up the UN CC: Learn Program in the Dominican Republic as one of the first steps in bringing the UN CC: Learn Program to Central America through UNDP’s Adaptation Learning Mechanism (ALM).

At this event, Daniel Abreu, Consultant on Climate Change and part of the Ministry of Environment in Dominican Republic, working on the National Council for Climate Change, commented that “education and classrooms should be seen as places fostering change in relation to the fight against climate change”. Highlighting the achievements of the initiative, he explained that 400 teachers have already been trained in Climate Change Education in Dominican Republic and were awarded certificates of completion in November of 2013. Turning to the National Strategy on Climate Change, Mr. Abreu also noted “so far the model has impacted 20,000 children but we want to get 4,000 teachers in 2015 and expand the program to other parts of the country”.

To get involved in climate change education in the Dominican Republic, please contact:

Mr. Moisés Alvarez
Under Secretary and Director
Clean Development Mechanism Office
National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism
Tel.: 809-472-0537
Fax: 809-227-4406
Email: onmdl@cambioclimatico.gob.do

Ms. María Eugenia Morales
Programme Official
Environment and Renewable Energy Unit UNDP Dominican Republic
Phone: +1 809 537 0909
Email: Maria.Morales@undp.org

Questions for the Reader

How does Climate Change affect you?
How do you think that UN CC-Learn will help the Dominican Republic in the future?
Based on the UN CC-Learn website, how do you think the project can be improved in Dominican Republic?

To learn more about the UN CC: Learn Program in Dominican Republic, please click here.