Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Case study 3: Charcoal production in Haitian communities in Massacre and PedernalesThough time consuming and labor intensive, charcoal is an important cash crop for rural households. In the twowatersheds an average of 28% of households are engaged in charcoal production. Five out of the 20 communitiessurveyed, reported that at least 50% of the households were engaged in the production of charcoal at some pointin the year (Figure 4).Most of the charcoal produced in the Haitian part of Massacre and Pedernales is being produced from bayahonde(Prosopis juliflora), a fast-growing exotic invasive tree species able to survive in harsh, dry conditions. Logwood(Haematoxylum campechianum, also known as “bloodwood” or “Campêche”) is the next most common tree used.Fruit producing trees such as Caimito or mango trees are also used, but producers are preferentially cutting downolder, less productive trees of these varieties.Villages closer to transportation infrastructure, larger agglomerations or markets, seem less dependent on charcoalproduction. On the other hand, more isolated and rural communities with easier woodland access and more limitedjob opportunities appear more likely to engage in this activity as it requires neither formal education nor large capitalinvestments. Some communities in the upper watershed area in the Pedernales watershed are notable exceptionsto this trend. This is believed to be a result of the local coffee production, which represents an important source ofincome in these communities. The fact that coffee plants need shade probably explains why farmers are protectingthe tree cover in this area. Female-headed households also seem less likely than male-headed households to earnincome from charcoal production.Figure 4. Percentage of households producing charcoal by communityin the Massacre and Pedernales watershedsPercentage of household producing charcoal by community(n=229)75%70%50%50%57%38%33%30% 30%40%20%20%20%33%10%6% 7%0% 0% 0%Acul-des-pinsNearly 8 out of 10 charcoal producers have noticed a sizeable decrease in the quantity of wood available in the pasttwo years, probably because charcoal producers do not plant trees to replace those they have destroyed. Moreover,they do not allow the two to three years trees need in order to grow back to their normal size. Rather they cut thembefore they reach maturity, taking poorer quality wood, which means in turn that more wood is needed to producesimilar amounts of charcoal.Most small-scale Haitian charcoal producers interviewed in these two watersheds, make their charcoal in Haiti. Only9% of the Haitian charcoal producers interviewed collect or buy their wood in the Dominican Republic, while just 5%produce charcoal in the Dominican Republic, and when they do, it is always under the supervision or in collaborationwith Dominicans, with whom revenues are shared. If caught, the Haitians risk being severely punished, with severalaccounts of cases of mutilation or murder killing over the past ten years.The households interviewed in both watersheds had, been producing charcoal for an average of 14 years. However,nearly half of the charcoal producers in the Pedernales watershed started producing charcoal at some point in thepast five years, which suggests that this activity is relatively new for a significant amount of the population living inthis watershed.Despite its importance, charcoal production is not liked as a livelihood. Virtually all of the charcoal makers interviewedwould rather do something else, if they had the choice: charcoal production is perceived as being bad for health,physically demanding, poorly paid, illegal in some cases, and having negative impacts on the environment.Haiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone61