Already before the devastating 12 January 2010 earthquake, Haiti was the poorest,
least stable and most environmentally degraded country in the Caribbean.
This environmental degradation had severe and wide-reaching social and economic
impacts, as the largely destroyed rural environment could not fully feed its
population or provide adequate livelihoods. The degraded catchments had also
made Haiti's rural and urban populations vulnerable to extreme natural adverse events.
Thus, Haiti's population continues to suffer from ongoing poverty, food insecurity,
health problems, and disaster vulnerability, which are strongly interlinked with
severe environmental issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, inadequate waste
management, water scarcity and coastal zone degradation, many of which have been
further exacerbated by the major earthquake.
At the request of the national government, UNEP has an active presence in Haiti
and is working with government agencies and a host of other stakeholders to
achieve major and sustained improvements for both the environment and the
well-being of the country's population. The UNEP team comprising international
and national staff is based in Port-au-Prince.
View the latest publication release:
UNEP in Haiti: 2010 Year in Review.
Joint initiatives
UNEP is a driving force behind the Haiti Regeneration Initiative
Launched in 2009, its aim is to reduce poverty and vulnerability to natural disasters
through restoring ecosystems and livelihoods. The initiative is built on the principle
that large-scale, chronic problems need bold solutions based on sustainable natural
resource management, and it encompasses concerted action over the next 20 years and beyond.
In addition, UNEP is a founding partner in the new Côte Sud Initiative, which is the
largest ever initiative to support the recovery and sustainable development of
south-western Haiti. The CSI area covers 10 communes in the South Department
and includes Macaya National Park, one of Haiti's last remaining original forests.
For more information about UNEP's activities in Haiti please contact:
Antonio Perera, UNEP in Haiti Programme Manager at antonio.perera@unep.org
or Andrew Morton, Manager - Haiti Regeneration Initiative at
andrew.morton@unep.org.