Three Walls, One Destiny
The situation
Monte Cristi National Park, in the northwest of the Dominican Republic, covers approximately 550 square kilometres. Established in 1983, it is one of 27 protected areas in the country. Within it, El Morro de Monte Cristi stands as both a Natural Monument and a striking geological feature — a limestone cliff rising 237 metres above sea level, acting as a natural barrier sheltering unique terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The park hosts rich biodiversity: coastal mangroves, dry forest species and endemic plants adapted to arid conditions; the endangered Hispaniolan solenodon, the Hispaniolan hutia and the endemic Ricord's iguana; and abundant birdlife. The coral reef off the coast is one of Latin America's longest and most vital living walls, supporting corals, reef fish, sea turtles and manatees, while buffering storms and erosion.
In recent years, environmental threats have intensified, particularly through improper waste management and landfills. Landfills produce methane, contaminate soil and water through leachate, and disrupt ecosystems. In Monte Cristi, unregulated landfills and illegal dumping have contaminated soil and groundwater, threatening the coral reef, coastal mangroves, and the livelihoods of communities dependent on fishing and tourism.
We symbolically connect three walls: landfills, the destructive wall of pollution and neglect; El Morro, the natural monument that protects and defines the landscape; and the coral reef, the living wall safeguarding marine life and coastal resilience.
What we are doing
The Three Walls, One Destiny initiative takes a holistic approach to protecting Monte Cristi's ecosystems. The Three Walls, One Destiny documentary exposes the environmental impact of landfills and illegal dumping and proposes sustainable alternatives for government policy, serving as the foundation for a broader advocacy campaign.
Following the documentary, we will lead the "Waste Does Not Exist" advocacy campaign, promoting recycling, upcycling and the circular economy — transforming trash into resources, defending ecosystems, and highlighting the human right to a healthy environment.
The project also engages local schools, cultural centres and community spaces in Monte Cristi through talks, workshops and exhibitions, and hosts events with the local government. Students, teachers and community members take part in beach clean-ups, mangrove restoration and recycling workshops, while audiovisual content is integrated into environmental education curricula.