Integrated Development, Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Communities; and Strengthening Civil Society in Haiti

The “Integrated Development, Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Communities; and Strengthening of Civil Society in Haiti” is a 3 year continuation of the long-term project in the departments of West and Grand-Anse, with some interventions in the South East, Artibonite and North East, the last phase of which ended in 2017.

The new 3 years project phase launched in 2018, continuing with almost the same objectives and strategies and aims to consolidate the positive impacts of the past three years. However, this time, it is being implemented specifically in the West and Grand-Anse Departments with Réseau des Organisations pour le Développement des Palmes (RODEP) and Réseau pour la Sauvegarde de la Forêt des Pins (RSFP) in the West, and Fondation Nouvelle Grand-Anse (FNGA) in the Grand-Anse as local partners.

Objectives of the project

1. Communities' vulnerability is reduced through the establishment of preparedness mechanisms and capacities to deal with and respond to disasters
2. Partners and target communities have increased capacity in natural resource management and climate change adaptation, and have the resources, tools and mechanisms to implement them.
3. Communities have improved economies through right-based socio-economic capacity building initiatives
4. Communities have improved food production and security through right-based socio-economic, eco-friendly capacity building initiatives.
5. People are able to fully exercise their rights, including right to justice, to gender justice, to participate in decision affecting their lives and build and advocate for a solid civil society.
6. Partner organizations have the institutional and technical capacities to play a more prominent role as autonomous humanitarian and/or development actors, and transfer knowledge to the target groups.
7. The Integrated Program team feels safe and is able to apply its knowledge and skills and is in a position to learn / develop further.

Objectives of the evaluation

• Identify major climate risks
• Identifying unknown hazards
• Qualitative assessment of a territory’s vulnerability to climate change risks, including exposure and sensitivity: assessing the adverse effects of climate change on populations, natural resources and social and economic activities
• Raise awareness of these issues directly related to food security
• Prioritise this level of vulnerability related to the different impacts, in relation to the magnitude of the consequences and the probability of occurrence of those impacts
• Carry out risk mapping in the municipalities.

Type of evaluation: Vulnerability Study
Period covered by the evaluation: Last Quarter of 2019 to Mid-2020
Audience: Right Holders (from programme thematic) and StakeHolders (Civil Society, Community leaders and other key members)

Methodology

participative methodology (including FGDs, KIIs and documents checking)

Findings and Lessons Learned

• Eenvironmental and climate change vulnerability: The people depend almost entirely on the land to provide for themselves. There is an accelerated destruction of vegetation cover makes areas more vulnerable to winds and flooding. - Decreasing of agricultural production and death observation of large numbers of livestock (impacted by inflation and drought) - Imperfect knowledge of community leaders in sustainable land use and management
• Socio-economic vulnerability: Losses after each cyclone, soil erosion, the abandonment of agricultural activities and the absence of certain social services in the study areas have a direct impact on the socio-economic situation of farmers.
• Vulnerability to characteristics of production systems and farms: Lack farmers crops diversification
• Risk and disaster management vulnerability: None of the sections has a temporary shelter. CLPC and CASEC have no budget to manage risks and disasters, they operate on the goodwill of their members.

Recommandations

• Adaptation to environmental vulnerability and climate change: prioritize the agro-ecological approach in the concerned areas and grow crops where the activity will not contribute to environmental degradation.
• Adaptation to socio-economic vulnerability: reduce the influence of the underlying risk factors affecting agriculture, livestock, fishing and forestry to protect agricultural livelihoods. Households are also encouraged to engage in secondary activities (farm labor, trade, transport and forestry) that also allowing household members to develop projects.
• Adaptation to vulnerability related to characteristics of production systems and farms: encourage farmers to specialize in specific systems they are advised to diversify agricultural production systems and use very short-cycle species resistant to drought and pests that must be part of the adaptation of the agricultural production system to climate change.
• Adaptation to risk and disaster management vulnerability: Strengthen the capacity of local authorities, community structures and local actors to manage risks and disasters; set up community maps to identify and know areas at risk and implement early warning systems that inform populations