Corayma De Dios Estrella Herrera, a professional who is deeply dedicated to environmental justice, is on a mission to confront the climate crisis. Her career, built on knowledge, determination, and a heartfelt desire to create positive change, illustrates how dedicated individuals can truly transform the destinies of entire communities and nations.
Corayma is a lawyer with a master’s degree in environmental project management and corporate social responsibility. She has professional experience in environmental legislation as a legislative advisor to the Congress of the Dominican Republic. In 2022, she joined the inaugural cohort of Impulsouth’s Climate Solutions Lab after being selected to develop her project “Capacity of Local Governments to Adapt and Lead Environmental and Climate Projects in the Dominican Republic.”
In environmental and climate matters, inaction is no longer an option. Corayma De Dios Estrella.
As a lawyer, she has sought to promote positive environmental change. She has spearheaded the formulation of laws and the development resolutions with a focus on the environment, climate change, and social inclusion.
Her awakening to climate issues was intertwined with her thesis and her work on behalf of her nation’s Congress. Together, these experiences paved the way for her future engagement in climate action. Combining her legal skills with her commitment to the common good has allowed her to establish herself as a dedicated young leader in the field of action.
Through the Climate Solutions Lab, her perspective on action underwent a paradigm shift. While she still sees passion as a good motivator for driving change, she now believes that knowledge, research, and constant study are just as crucial. For her, genuine transformation must be supported by science, business, law, and other key areas.
Solution Lab implementation process
Personal thoughts and experiences alone are insufficient; we need scientific knowledge, economic understanding, legal insights, and input from all related disciplines to drive change. That’s why I believe that young people, in addition to having passion, should focus on developing skills. Corayma De Dios Estrella
One of the most notable achievements of Corayma’s project, focused on municipal cooperation in the realm of climate change and developed during the Impulsouth’s Climate Solutions Lab, was bringing to light the importance of involving local governments in climate action. This led her to capitalize on every opportunity, meeting, and conversation with environmental leaders in her country. Throughout this journey, she aimed to spur action by asking what governments are doing to bridge the communication gaps that often exist between the central government and local authorities.
Her project gathers perspectives from various levels of government and emphasizes the importance of local and national coordination in effective climate action.
Summary of Climate Solution: Capacity of Local Governments to Adapt and Lead Environmental and Climate Projects in the Dominican Republic.
In this project, Corayma developed a baseline to assess municipalities’ capacities to report on climate and environmental actions at the local level. The tool uses eight key indicators, designed to measure and report progress made by municipalities in areas such as waste management, local investment in risk management, and training on climate-related topics. Additionally, Corayma identified the technological and educational gaps that need to be addressed to enable local governments to become true strategic allies in achieving national climate goals at the local level.
To dowload the document ‘‘Capacidades de los gobiernos locales de adaptarse y liderar proyectos ambientales y climáticos en la República Dominicana’’, please click here.