The environmental risk hidden in the silent gaps of the tender specifications for coastal infrastructure.
BOCA CHICA. – The recent publication of the tender for the reconstruction of the seafront of Andrés and Boca Chica, by the Executive Committee of Infrastructure of Tourist Zones (CEIZTUR), opens a gap in the debate on the balance between infrastructure development and environmental protection, in one of the most sensitive coastal environments of the Dominican Caribbean.
While the tender specifications for Project CEIZTUR-CCC-LPN-2025-0008 establish certain general environmental obligations, a detailed analysis reveals that key omissions and significant risks are not addressed with the depth required by Law 64-00 on the Environment and Natural Resources and the Constitution of the Dominican Republic itself.
The gap in the bidding process
is evident in the Dominican Republic's Constitution, which enshrines the right to a healthy environment and establishes the State's duty to protect it. Any intervention in ecologically sensitive areas must consider, when a project may affect relevant ecological processes, a prior environmental impact assessment (EIA).
It is also important to ensure that there are safeguards in place for controlling and mitigating potential impacts during construction and operation, as well as for environmental monitoring after the project is completed.
These elements stem from the environmental principles enshrined in the Constitution and are further developed in Law 64-00 on the Environment and Natural Resources, which mandates environmental assessment, prevention of environmental damage, and compliance with standards throughout the entire life cycle of projects with potential impacts.
However, a detailed examination of the CEIZTUR tender documents reveals gaps :
– The submission or accreditation of the corresponding environmental license or an environmental impact study or declaration, required for coastal works of this nature under Articles 41, 42, and 43 of Law 64-00, is
not expressly required. – The project's environmental categorization is unclear, making it difficult to determine whether the specific environmental mitigation measures stipulated by law for works with potentially significant impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems have been adopted.
– Mandatory environmental monitoring during and after construction is not established, despite the fact that the area is recognized for its ecological vulnerability.
In contrast, the tender only incorporates partial and general environmental obligations, such as an environmental management plan and waste management requirements, without specifying mechanisms to ensure that the work does not irreversibly alter the coastal dynamics or the hydrobiological balances associated with the springs and the bay.
The project ignores environmental risks, which are not explicitly covered in the tender specifications, such as alteration of coastal dynamics and erosion: the placement of rigid structures such as tetrapods without a prior environmental assessment can modify currents, sediment transport and wave patterns, with an impact on adjacent sectors of the coast.
No impact on marine biodiversity is anticipated. Ecosystems such as reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove areas, present in and around the lagoon of Boca Chica, are highly sensitive to turbidity, sedimentation, and changes in salinity and water quality.
Nor is it clearly defined how water pollution will be managed. Historical evidence of bacterial contamination from fecal matter in the area indicates that coastal water quality can be poor at certain times, making a mitigation and control approach before, during, and after infrastructure development all the more urgent.
Boca Chica has already shown its vulnerability to extreme weather events, such as storm surges associated with hurricanes, which demand resilient and science-based solutions, beyond reactive works, and Law 64-00 not only requires general recognition of environmental standards, but also imposes, mandates and orders:
– Prior impact assessment (where applicable).
– Environmental license for works that affect sensitive ecological dynamics.
– Citizen participation in environmental processes.
– Ongoing monitoring and reporting of environmental indicators.
In this regard, the tender incorporates some basic environmental requirements, such as short-term management plans and risk management strategies, but fails to guarantee that the project as a whole has adequate environmental support, which is especially critical in socio-culturally and ecologically complex environments like Boca Chica.
It's not your average beach
Located less than 40 kilometers from the Dominican capital, Boca Chica is a bay protected by a natural reef, with shallow waters, fed by underground springs that emerge in the area and contribute to a fragile ecological balance between fresh and salt water, a combination that makes the area especially sensitive to any alteration of coastal dynamics and the flow of natural sediments.
Furthermore, the massive arrival of sargassum has become a recurring phenomenon, affecting the marine biodiversity of Boca Chica, deteriorating water quality and causing negative impacts on local tourism, with decreases of up to 85% in economic activity during seaweed invasion seasons.
There are also historical studies that suggest contamination from sewage spills and wastewater discharges, which has raised concerns about water quality and the risks of waterborne diseases.
It is a highly threatened and vulnerable environment, which has been the scene of municipal and state efforts for solid waste management and coastal cleanup, but these have not always been sufficient to mitigate long-term environmental degradation.
All these conditions make this coast a fragile ecosystem subject to multiple environmental pressures: accumulation of macroalgae, bacterial pollution, coastal erosion, complex biological interactions between fresh and salt water, and intensive use by tourism and commerce.
The government believes that rebuilding the waterfront is an opportunity to strengthen Boca Chica's resilience, protect its ecosystems, and ensure the well-being of the local community, but this will only be possible if a comprehensive environmental approach, including assessments, mitigation, monitoring, and social participation.
This project, which includes general environmental requirements within the tender specifications, violates Law 64-00, which establishes technical imperatives to protect a vulnerable ecosystem that supports the economy, tourism, and quality of life.
The call
The call for proposals, identified with the reference CEIZTUR-CCC-LPN-2025-0008, was published in December 2025 and establishes as the deadline for receiving proposals February 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at the Pro-Dominicana headquarters, Avenida 27 de Febrero corner Gregorio Luperón, National District.
The terms and conditions set out the technical and economic requirements that interested companies must submit, both in physical format and electronically through the Electronic System of Public Procurement (SECP).
