A joint mission composed of representatives from the North Departmental Environment Directorate, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Heifer International recently visited the Bodin community (in the municipality of Pilate) as part of the "Improving Climate Resilience in the Trois-Rivières Region of Haiti through Integrated Flood Management" project.

This visit provided an opportunity to discuss the ecological and socioeconomic potential of the site with local authorities, community representatives, and stakeholders, and to initiate discussions with a view to establishing a communal forest for ecotourism.

This marks a first step toward a transformative initiative for the municipality of Pilate, designed to reconcile ecosystem preservation, reforestation, and sustainable local development through ecotourism.

This project is also aligned with the roadmap of Moïse Fils Jean Pierre, the Minister of the Environment, which encourages the creation of multifunctional communal forests with the aim of land restoration, increasing vegetation cover, climate resilience, and generating income for communities.

The concept of a communal forest with an ecotourism focus represents a strategic lever for reconciling populations with their environment, while creating recreational, educational, and productive spaces. It is an innovative model of shared natural resource management, capable of stimulating eco-citizenship and offering new economic opportunities to residents, particularly through welcoming visitors, enhancing local biodiversity, and promoting sustainable agricultural and artisanal practices.

Fontescony Joseph, the Departmental Director for the North of the Ministry of the Environment, expressed his full support for this approach, which constitutes an example of an integrated intervention, responding to both environmental challenges and the development aspirations of rural communities.

In the coming weeks, further actions are planned to lay the concrete foundations for this future communal forest.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-24824-haiti-environnement-une-foret-communale-pour-la-commune-des-gonaives.html

HL/ HaitiLibre