Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

8. Environmental governance and regulationand control of the charcoal tradeand other forest products: Increaseenforcement of Dominican and Haitian law onprotected areas and forest conservation.Design & scopea. Better protect forests and national parks andreserves in or near the border in the DominicanRepublic against illegal settlements, agriculturalclearing and charcoal production.b. For regulation and control of the charcoal trade,focus on the Dominican side of the border zonenear Lake Azuei. Aim for long term full suppressionof the trade rather than episodic crackdowns.This includes confronting the problem of Dominicanlandowners involved in the production andcomplicity of government and border officialswho allow the trade to take place.c. Create buffer zones surrounding the protectedareasd. Strengthen provincial (Dominican Republic) anddepartmental (Haiti) offices of the Ministries ofenvironment.e. Develop plans to control conflict, avoid humanrights violations and deal with transboundaryissues in the course of enforcement.f. Investigate the possible impacts of any sanctionsagainst – or indeed the total suppression of – thecharcoal trade. Of particular importance is thequestion of what consequences such measureswould have for the Haitian population, much ofwhich is dependant on charcoal for daily energy,and some of which relies on the charcoal tradefor subsistence. Consider options to reduce therisk of unrest during period of transition fromcharcoal to more sustainable sources of energy.RationaleThe Dominican Republic has adequate laws forthe management of protected areas and soil andforestry conservation, however they are not beingadequately enforced in the border zone, andserious degradation is ongoing. Major complicationsin this task are widespread rural poverty andunderemployment, corruption and the presenceand involvement of large numbers of Haitian legaland illegal immigrants.On the Haitian side, protected areas also sufferfrom a lack of necessary funds, resources andpolitical support for protected area management.Suppressing the transboundary charcoaltrade will most likely result in some level of unrestamong the large number of Haitians who relyon charcoal for their daily energy needs. Theimpacts of such a suppression is therefore to bewell understood and mitigating actions are to beconsidered.Cost: US$ 5 million per annumSchedule: 5 years+Responsibility: Ministry of Environment and NaturalResources in the Dominican Republic. Ministries ofInterior – both countries.9. Strengthen the management of marineand coastal resources in the border zone:Slow the decline of the marine and coastalenvironment in the border zone by preventingencroachment and stopping practices thatdegrade the environment.Design & scopea. Build a conflict resolution mechanism pertainingto the transboundary use and trade of fish andother marine resources by creating thematicdialogue tables between relevant actors at thelocal level, as well as by organizing a formalcoordination platform at a high political level.The latter should be tasked with managingconflict, resources, and territory delimitation,and should actively seek the participationof government authorithies, private sector,fishermen associations etc.b. Reinforce the relevant directions in the Haitianministries, such as the Direction of Fisheries inthe MARNDR, which is understaffed throughout,including at the departmental level.c. Enforce existing – and create new – protectedmarine areas in which functioning fishing bansare in place, so as to slow or halt the depletionof fish stocks while remaining mindful of theeconomical health of the communities thatrely on those stocks. Establish such protectedareas in collaboration with fishermen associations,in order to ensure buy-in and successfulimplementation of the protected areas.d. Ban the cutting of mangroves for the establishmentof new salt panse. Provide incentives for switching from the use ofmangrove as firewood to other energy sources114 Haiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone