Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

and local issues. These include, for example, tradeliberalization and a flood of cheap or externallysubsidized imports, 191, 192 vulnerability to naturalhazards, policy weaknesses (particularly in Haiti),as well as weak supply chains and limited postprocessingpossibilities for agricultural produce inHaiti. These issues, do not, however fall under thescope of this study, as they were not identified in theassessment process as being specific to the borderzone, or fulfill the criteria used for determining keyissues, as detailed in chapter 1.3.4.3 Land TenureUnderstanding and addressing the issues relatedto land tenure is important in order to developsuccessful strategies for agricultural practices, notonly in the border zone, but throughout the twocountries.Much of Haitian land officially belongs to the state,but there is no functioning national cadastralsystem. Left with no alternative, many peasantscultivate state lands or harvest wood from themillegally. In rural Haiti, informal arrangementsregarding land tenure are more important thanformal titles, which are demonstrably moreexpensive and less flexible. Land tenure rangesfrom direct access by virtue of ownership to indirectaccess through tenancy or usufruct. According toa USAID study, investment decisions are basedon the duration of access to a plot regardless offormal tenure. Duration of access depends on afarmer’s social capital, economical means andposition in the society. 193 The Haitian Institute ofAgrarian Reform (INARA), which researched landtenure, concluded that “the judicial system isincapable of guaranteeing land tenure securityeven for those able to take full advantage of it”. 194This situation reduces incentives for people tomake long term and productive investments onplots of which they might be dispossessed. Theresulting land insecurity also “creates a reticenceor even the fear of investment and promotes theemergence of conflict and violence.” 195This lack of a functioning land tenure system inHaiti creates several different problems. Some ofthe most outstanding are: a) unclear land tenuresystems that result in the depletion of resourcesas farmers are only prepared to invest in landthat they own or can confidently control for longperiods (including depletion of forest resources,lack of erosion control and the development ofunsustainable agricultural practices); b) physicalaggression and/or lack of collaboration of differentindividuals and groups claiming the propertyof the same lands; and c) absence of the landowners (or their representatives) of large areas ofland (locally called “grandons”), leaving large landareas without control or appropriate use.The issue of land tenure is not creating as significantproblems in most parts of the Dominican territory.This is partly as a result of a modern and functioningcadastral system, 196 although some problems, forexample in respect to land ownership involvingoverlapping claims exist. The border province ofElias Piña seems to be the exception in this regard inthe Dominican Republic, where problems relatingto land tenure seems to be particularly prevalent. 197According to government officials, very few peoplehere own the lands they use. Usually, problemsoccur when farmers have been using governmentlands, as under normal circumstances ownershipof the land, over time, would go by right to theperson farming it. That process could well becontested by the government not least because,as in Haiti, the system is not formalized, and itoften results in problems and conflicts over landownership in this province. 1984.4 Land degradationLand degradation is widespread, but varies greatlyin severity, right across the border zone. In general,land degradation is much more severe andwidespread on the Haitian side, however there aresignificant degradation hotspots on the Dominicanside as well. The most severe degradation is notedin the northern and central parts of the Haitianborder zone.The most common forms of degradation notedare: a) topsoil loss through erosion; b) soil nutrientdepletion and compaction; and c) watercoursedrying and bed expansion. Soil erosion is noted inall of its forms: sheet, rill and gully erosion.Deforestation and vegetation loss are the first stepsto degradation: trees removed are not replacedwith adequate perennial vegetation cover andwater erosion proceeds rapidly. Reduced waterretention results in flash flooding which transportsHaiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone49