The Decheteries De Carrefour Feuilles factory, founded by CASCAF, was selected among 12 finalists in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Challenge 09 Competition.  This project has created jobs, cleaned up neighborhoods, and made available a reasonably priced alternative to the wood charcoal that has left Haiti's hills and mountains largest deforested.  If you also feel that this program deserves to be expanded and replicated, vote for it at the BBC World Challenge website.  Bon Chans!  Read more »

In 2006, Haiti Innovation called for the Haitian Government to start subsidizing propane, if only on a pilot basis.  There has been no movement on the part of the Haitian government to do so, either in practice or in strategic planning documents like the Haiti Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.  However, help may be on the way from its closest neighbor, the Dominican Republic. Read more »

Below is a Miami Herald article on the relationship between environmental degradation in Haiti and natural disasters. Click here to see an audio slideshow of the consequences of deforestation.  The article also contains a link to an interview with Jane Wynne, who is intimately familiar with Haiti's environmental issues.  As she puts it, "There is hope but only if we have the will to change."  There is also a link to an interview with Prime Minister Pierre-Louis.  Though it will take all of Haitian society to reverse the deforestation, her role is to prepare and coordinate a governmental response.  It is long overdue. Read more »

Attached is an assessment carried out by the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (EMAP) on Haiti's reliance on wood based charcoal for its energy needs - estimated to be about 70% of total energy usage.   Having read the assessment, I feel it raises some sensible interventions even if they do not go far enough.  However, the strategy could provide a foundation upon which to build. Read more »

I came across an impressive multimedia piece on Haiti's environmental damage in the South Florida Sun Sentinal.  The piece contains impressive, and disturbing, photography of deforestation, erosion, and flooding.  In addition, there are photo essays, interactive lessons for children, and a number of graphs and charts.  The Wynne Farm is also mentioned in this piece.  Unfortunately, the "community and solutions" section does not offer up any solutions.  Despite this, this is a good piece for understanding Haiti's deteriorating environment - and the repercussions.   You can access the piece by clicking here. Read more »

Environmental reforms should be at the forefront of the agenda for the president elect of Haiti. If they aren’t soon enough there won’t be a country to be president of. Read more »

If Joseph Heller where to write Catch-22 today, I often think that Haiti would make a pretty decent setting for the story. Imagine that you had to choose between providing ecological stability for your children or cooking their dinner. Now, I’ll admit that it really isn’t that difficult of a decision, but it is one that countless Haitians face on a daily basis, and is the reason why merely ‘educating’ Haitians on the evils of deforestation will never effectively address the environmental disasters facing the country. Read more »