The Ministry of the Environment (MdE), the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), officially launched the project "Strengthening Resilience to Climate Disasters in Southern Haiti" at a workshop held in Port-au-Prince.

Exposed to recurring hurricanes, droughts, floods, and landslides, largely due to advanced environmental degradation, and further weakened by its status as a Least Developed Country (LDC) and Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Haiti is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world.

Funded with USD 4.3 million by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through its Least Developed Countries Fund, and with co-financing of USD 11.7 million, the planned interventions will strengthen the adaptive capacity of 115,974 people living in the fragile ecosystems of Grand’Anse and Nippes over a 48-month period.

"This project reflects the Haitian government’s commitment to placing environmental protection and community resilience at the heart of our national adaptation strategy. The Grand Sud region is paying a heavy price for climate hazards, and we must act now, together, to restore our ecosystems and offer a dignified future to the people who depend on them," said Valéry Fils-Aimé, Minister of the Environment.

"Ecosystem-based adaptation represents a proven technical response that combines nature restoration, risk reduction, and tangible improvements in living conditions. Thanks to good governance, the natural capital of southern Haiti can become the communities’ first line of defense against climate shocks," emphasized Juan Bello, Regional Director and Representative, UNEP Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Interventions will focus on three key areas :

1- Strengthening institutional governance and local and national capacities to reduce vulnerability;

2- Implementing improved land management practices, environmental protection, and rehabilitation in the face of climate change by local authorities and communities;

3- Strengthening climate-resilient agricultural value chains with improved market access.

"Food security cannot be guaranteed without climate security, and vice versa. Restoring soils and coastal areas, through crop diversification and reforestation, protects communities, their livelihoods, and infrastructure from environmental shocks, while also facilitating access to markets: all concrete levers for transforming vulnerability into sustainable opportunities," explained Pierre Vauthier, FAO Representative in Haiti.

Key national partners in this project include the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC), local authorities, civil society organizations, including NGOs, universities, and the private sector. These partners will be supported in implementation by UNEP and FAO through the Global Environment Facility.

"The United Nations system in Haiti remains fully committed to standing alongside the Haitian people to address the combined climate, environmental, and socio-economic challenges. This project illustrates the power of coordinated multilateral action to build the resilience of the most vulnerable populations," stated Nicole Kouassi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti.

The workshop allowed stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the project, its work plan, and key partners, to identify synergies to be developed with ongoing initiatives, and to formulate recommendations on opportunities to be seized as well as the main implementation challenges.

Following the launch workshop and discussions with strategic partners, the project teams will continue community engagement activities, strengthen departmental coordination, and conduct participatory assessments in the six intervention communes. Operational implementation will be carried out with regular monitoring by the Project Steering Committee. These actions will directly contribute to the implementation of national strategies for climate change adaptation and major climate hazard risk reduction in Haiti.

HL/ HaitiLibre