Vision

What is the Haiti Regeneration Initiative?

The Haiti Regeneration Initiative (HRI) aims to bring about lasting positive change to Haiti’s environment and the livelihood of its population over the next 20 years and beyond. It provides a platform for a national movement that will empower the Haitian people to better understand and tackle the chronic environmental and socio-economic issues affecting their country.

The HRI offers ambitious, innovative solutions to the country’s large-scale, chronic problems of environmental degradation and poverty, in order to kick-start a virtuous circle of recovery and growth. The HRI vision is simple but bold: to reduce poverty and increase resiliency to natural hazards through the restoration of ecosystems and livelihoods. The focus will therefore be on sustainable natural resource management.

vicious cycle diagram
virtuous cycle diagram

The Initiative’s goals for the recovery and long-term development of Haiti will be achieved only through the collective efforts of the Haitian people, the government and international partners, over the period of a generation or more.  This is a daunting challenge that requires a combination of investment, innovation and persistence.

The HRI will enable local, national and international partners to collaborate over the next 20 years to deliver well-planned, concerted actions. From government institutions to community groups and international agencies, the Initiative brings together the organizations and communities that want to be part of the change.

Why the HRI?

Even before the devastating earthquake of 2010, Haiti was the poorest, least stable and also most environmentally degraded country in the Caribbean. The country’s dire economic and environmental situations are tightly interlinked: the destroyed rural environment cannot provide adequate livelihoods and have made the population very vulnerable to flooding and other natural disasters.

 

riverbed with familly

This problem is not new – the environmental degradation of Haiti has been gradually increasing in intensity since the 18th century. What is new is the severity and near-universal extent of the degradation. The devastating hurricanes of 2008 and the earthquake of 2010 were tipping points, causing not only massive human and economic losses, but also major permanent damage to the environment, thus furthering eroding the country’s capacity to recover from the chronic crisis.

The main challenges facing Haiti today can be summarized as:

  1. Frequent natural disasters which undermine growth and stability.
  2. Increased pressure and demands on a decreasing resource base
  3. Unstable socio-political conditions and growing immediate needs which make it difficult to maintain long-term visions and plans.

 

population charts

Recent environmental initiatives led by national and international actors have been well-intentioned and positive, but have had limited success. While this is in great part due to the sheer scale of the challenge in Haiti, part of the problem has been the way in which assistance has been delivered. The HRI has evolved as a response to the realization, at both the national and international level, that a change in approach is needed.

The Opportunities

Haiti already possesses a strong human capital base with the experience and technical knowledge to address the country’s chronic problems. In the past year, various Haitian ministries have released short, medium and long-term strategic plans for targeted, sector-based development. In addition, there is a large pool of talented and well trained technical organizations with many years of practical experience and lessons learned that are ready to be applied. Finally, at the local level, where programs success is truly determined, a range of well organized local associations catalyze efforts for local development, especially business development. These groups are strong partners for building and sustaining interventions.

harvest

The HRI offers the opportunity to combine this knowledge and experience into a coherent, high-impact initiative. The Initiative provides a platform for collaboration for various stakeholders and actors, thus enhancing the effectiveness and range of already existing development programmes and providing the framework for new, innovative programmes.