Wednesday, the "Diplomatic Day of Climate" in Haiti has allowed to mobilize citizens and present the common position of the European Union (EU) for the Climate Conference in Paris (COP 21) to be held from 30 November to 11 December in France, which should lead to new commitments in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climatic changes.

Haiti is one of the most affected country by the consequences of climate change, and particularly concerned by the issues of this conference and is actively preparing its contribution to the agreement to be signed in Paris. The European Union and the Member States in Haiti, support the efforts of Haiti and implement several actions in favor of the environment and to support the fight against the impacts of climate change.

Recall that since February 2015, the European Union has implemented a support climate change program in Haiti worth € 6 million to strengthen the technical capacity of the Ministry of Environment to better assess the impact on the environment actions undertaken by the Haitian State and to make the environment a cross-cutting issue in all public policies. In addition, within the Binational Program Haiti-Dominican Republicof the EU, an envelope of € 2.8 million is deployed so that environmental issues in the border region are managed jointly by the two states.

France for its part helped to make adopt a national development strategy of watersheds, water management of trickling and soil restoration. The French Development Agency (AFD) is also conducting a series of actions to reduce the vulnerability of rural people, to increase their incomes and resilience of agro-ecological systems. Emphasis is also placed on urban planning, working on a future land registry and implementation of protected areas and the reduction of buildings scattered settlements.

Spain since 2006 works for the conservation of biological diversity and promoting sustainable development of populations. Its activities are carried out mainly by supporting the Ministry of Environment, with a budget of € 2.2 million over several projects. Note that the Spanish Cooperation, supported the first Haitian biosphere reserve "La Selle". In the Southeast department, special attention is paid to watershed management while the prevention of natural hazards as well as quick response to emergencies are at the heart of the Spanish cooperation priorities. Finally, a new environment and climate change program was launched in December 2014, which aims to foster a resilient agriculture, risk management and integrated management of water resources, promotion of renewable energy, sustainable cities and an integrated forest management.

Germany's cooperation for the Caribbean and Haiti is based on environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. In Haiti, projects of technical cooperation are binational and conducted on watersheds and areas of biosphere reserves in the border area with the Dominican Republic (reforestation activities and sustainable management of natural resources and protected areas). Co-financing from the German financial cooperation to the rehabilitation of the largest hydroelectric power station of Haiti in Péligre is another example of the approach to mitigating the effects of climate change through a climate-neutral energy. In addition, the Embassy of Germany is currently funding a project of summer courses 2015 at Professional Development Center at the University Quisqueya based on sustainable and efficient management of resources in companies.

Britain currently supporting the "Political Champions" program of resilience to the Grande Anse, which is implemented by the Haitian government with the support of a group of multilateral development agencies. This program will have the effect of improving the climate resilience of recipient communes.

HL/ HaitiLibre