As part of the month of the environment in Haiti (June 1st to 30), strengthening climate security is an emergency for all, a national priority declare James Cadet, the Minister of the Environment and the Swedish Ulrika Richardson Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti in a joint press release.

[...] Each year, June inaugurates in Haiti the month of the environment. An opportunity to recall the urgency of the planetary crisis of climate change, the collapse of biodiversity and deforestation, and pollution.

[...] In this context of multiple crises, it should therefore be remembered that the Haitian economy and society depend on the environment, stable climatic conditions, balanced biogeochemical cycles, healthy ecosystems to provide water , soils, biodiversity that underlie the extraction of wood, fiber, sand, food production, processing, transportation and any other service activity that constitutes the daily life of Haitians.

[...] Climate change is profoundly disrupting the opportunities for Haiti. Hurricanes, floods, droughts : the increasing number of extreme events, combined with environmental degradation and deep social divisions, threaten the economy, infrastructure and the livelihoods of communities. The recurrence and persistence of these problems constitute a threat and an aggravating factor in the instability of the country, which is already facing unprecedented levels of violence and uncertainty.

[...] It is now imperative that all development actors in the country unite to take into account the impacts of climate change [...] consideration of the environment in all development sectors will contribute to social appeasement in Haiti: social and political tensions are often exacerbated by environmental factors, such as the scarcity of natural resources, pressure on agricultural land, vulnerability to natural disasters, etc.

[...] This is why, as a national priority, the environment is part of the Cooperation Framework signed by the government and the United Nations in April.

[...] The environment and climate issues can no longer be considered as marginal factors. Haiti depends on its ecosystems for the human security of its communities, its food security and its economic prosperity, with multiple and profound implications for the very stability of the country.

[...] This reality is confirmed by a major collaborative and multisectoral study initiated by the Ministry of the Environment on climate security in Haiti, the report of which is currently being finalized. Its preliminary findings underscore the urgency for all sectors of the country to respond to the challenge of climate change [...] by accelerating decentralization and putting local communities at the heart of projects, and by adopting intervention approaches and mechanisms longer-term, more ambitious and more flexible funding.

HL/ HaitiLibre