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supported campaign aims to double the country's forest cover Caribbean in 2016

Haiti aims to plant trees 50m per year in a reforestation campaign innovative to meet one of the main causes of poverty in the country and the ecological vulnerability.

President Michel Martelly will launch a campaign to double the forest cover by 2016 compared to the dangerous level of 2% - one of the lowest rates in the world. Despite the skepticism engendered by previous disastrous campaigns, we can hope that the thrust level mark a turning point after hundreds of years of degradation.

Haiti was covered with green forests, but clearing land for colonial plantations was followed by the cutting of trees for cooking fuel. It is estimated that 30 m to 40m trees are felled each year.

So far, efforts to solve this problem, which is exacerbated by floods and landslides, have been sporadic, small projects, mostly run by foreign NGOs. But the government has said it will spearhead the new initiative, which begins May 1.

"In three years, this level of coverage of forest plantations will give us 4.5%, and in 10 years will be 8% to 10% in 50 years and we hope to be up to Cuba, a regional model, and have 29%, "said Jean-Fran?ois Thomas, Minister of the Environment said.

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tree planting, which aims to "convert all Haitians a ranger," is an independent international efforts dispersed by USAID, the Development Programme and the United Nations Mennonite Church, dating back at least 30 years.

But the government is supporting a new project - forest Haitian social initiative - which was released in early March by the Clinton Foundation, in collaboration with the initiative of corporate social economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite. "The Haitian government is committed to making 10,000 hectares of agroforestry initiative, which is currently at the stage of feasibility study," said Clementine Lalande, chief investment officer of Haiti Yunus Social Business.

more tree cover is considered essential for Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is to raise the standard of living.

"Deforestation and poverty are closely linked in Haiti," said Lalande. "It has been clearly identified in several studies as one of the main causes of poverty here, resulting in degraded , lower agricultural yields, water shortages, reduced agricultural income and potentially malnutrition, especially in rural areas. "

. "This is a Haitian problem:. Every Haitian is guilty of not fighting to avoid it, and now we are used to living with it as a natural problem, "said Thomas

The campaign to change the mentality of Haiti include education through radio programs and brochures, and a component of environmental protection in the curriculum since September. Kerosene stoves, solar and propane are advertised as environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to wood or charcoal for cooking.


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