From ridge to reef. Land use dynamics and ecosystem services in the Yuna River basin: insights for policymaking.

This paper aims to analyze the land use land change dynamics in the Yuna River basin in the northeast region of the Dominican Republic (DR), considering their implications for ecosystem services. The Yuna basin is one of the most critical watersheds in the Caribbean, connecting the northeastern hills of the Cordillera Central to the Atlantic Ocean in the Samaná Bay. The basin is also connected to the global value chains of agricultural and mining commodities, such as organic cocoa exports and gold, from several mining concessions in its territory. The Basin faces socioeconomic pressures expressed in the timeless analysis of land-use dynamics, which can jeopardize the basin's ability to provide ecosystem services in the medium and long term. It suggests developing an approach based on the adaptive management of ecosystems and deploying a payment for environmental services scheme for watershed restoration.