Why?
Upscaling Ecosystem-based DRR in Haïti
– Development of Contour bunds to enhance soil and water conservation and allow the production of vegetables and fruits.
– Erosion Prevention through reforestation and planting high value vegetation
– Soil and water conservation measures, which are the most important components of Eco-DRR
– Set up a mechanism for Early Warning and Early Action – to all types of relevant hazards
– Building of check dams, gabions and retaining walls as important erosion prevention measures
After Hurricane Matthew hit Haïti in October 2016, the NLRC emergency response directly contributed in tackling the acute risks related to poor access to water and sanitation. Based on this experience, the NLRC believes that to achieve longer lasting impact it is crucial to address the underlying drivers of vulnerability by strengthening integrated community resilience strategies, including proactively through improved programming in schools as well as building capacity in technical skills. Chardonniers arrondissement encompassing 3 municipalities in the Department Sud, Haiti:
– Les Chardonniers (including “bourgs” of Bois Delai, Bosquel, Duplantin)
– Les Anglais (including “bourgs” of Vérone, Edelin, Cosse)
– Tiburon (including “bourgs” of Blactote, Nan Sevré, Loby and Dalmette)
What?
– Through Environmental Impact Monitoring
– Raising awareness and promoting skills trainings on erosion prevention
– Enhancing community-based organization agricultural capacity, distributing tools and setting up a farming field training centre (centre of excellence) in the target zone
– Through the distribution of agricultural inputs (e.g. seeds and tools) – In order to allow the building of Eco-DRR natural infrastructures
– Raise awareness among the community through various projects in order to form preparedness and enable the scale up of the activities.
– Capacity building and skills training for HRC staff and volunteers, local authorities, CBOs
– VCA+ and Commune Action Planning – assessment of vulnerability and capacity in a climate-resilient VCA exercise by the community
– Youth-led Sensitization in schools promoted through projects such as “J’Adapte”, “MEAL” and an informative app.
Contour bunds and vegetation bands will:
– Mitigate fast flowing water from the top, directly protecting lower-lying crops and land areas
– Improve micro level water management in the field, since more water will be absorbed by the land around the bunds/vegetation bands.
Erosion Prevention through reforestation and planting high value vegetation will:
– Benefit households that are producing and residing in the targeted zones by also increasing the diversity of sustainable livelihoods.
– Provide skills and knowledge among the locally recruited labour that will have to be informed in planting techniques.
Who?
– 70.000 vulnerable people within 10 communal sections in the Chardonniers arrondissement
– Households with a higher Household Hunger Scale (HHS) and a lower Household Dietary Diversity Scale (HDDS)
– Food insecure, single parent households and/or elderly or persons with disabilities
– Households that own 0.65ha productive land near ravines selected for restorative management
– Students and community schools
– Local authorities in at least 10 out of 13 communal sections
– National and Local CBOs in the 3 communes