In a milestone for the Caribbean region, the Dominican Republic has stepped into the global spotlight as the first Caribbean nation selected to host LatinoSan 2026, Latin America and the Caribbean’s premier gathering dedicated to advancing water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives across the region. The three-day event, scheduled to run from June 2 to 5 in the popular coastal destination of Punta Cana, will convene a diverse cross-section of stakeholders ranging from national government leaders and senior representatives of international development organizations to leading sector experts, academic researchers, private industry innovators and civil society advocates. Together, attendees will collaborate to co-develop actionable solutions that boost public health outcomes and drive inclusive, sustainable development across the entire Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region.
Addressing attendees during the official opening ceremony, Dominican Republic Health Minister Víctor Atallah underlined the outsized transformative impact that reliable access to safe water and adequate sanitation has on community quality of life. Atallah emphasized that functional sanitation systems are inextricably linked to four core pillars of progress: strong public health outcomes, intentional environmental protection, meaningful social equity, and expanded economic opportunity for marginalized communities. He also drew attention to persistent systemic challenges holding back progress across the region, including growing disruptions driven by climate change and the widespread lack of access to these life-sustaining essential services in many low-income and rural communities.
Beyond facilitating cross-border collaboration, the conference serves as a platform to showcase the Dominican Republic’s expanding public and private investments in water and sanitation infrastructure. Wellington Arnaud, Executive Director of the Dominican National Institute of Water Supply and Sewerage (INAPA), highlighted the country’s ambitious Universal Sanitation Program for Coastal and Tourist Cities, anchored by a nearly $1 billion large-scale project in Verón-Punta Cana that will deliver expanded aqueduct capacity, modernized sewerage systems and advanced water reuse infrastructure.
LatinoSan 2026 is organized jointly by the Dominican Ministry of Health and INAPA, with strategic financial and technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The forum’s core priorities include centering innovative technological solutions, building climate-resilient sanitation infrastructure, unlocking sustainable financing for low-income regions, advancing environmental stewardship, and strengthening cross-regional cooperation to expand equitable access to high-quality sanitation services for all communities across LAC.