Michel Martelly Proclaims 2013 as Year of the Environment

On "World Environment Day", Presidents Martelly and Medina of Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) inaugurated "Re-greening DR-Haiti" reforestation initiative in the town of Ouanaminthe. They participated in planting seeds to pledge their commitment to reach a green cover of 27% by 2020. Presently, tree and vegetation cover is at an all-time low of two percent. The consequence is dire: without trees to absorb rain water, the earth erodes and minerals in the top-soil wash away.

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Besides the planting ceremony, Martelly and Medina stopped by Center of Germplasm and Production of Fruit and Forest Species of Dosmond, a trilateral partnership between Haiti, DR, and Cuba. They also visited the Massacre River Protection Program, an initiative to prevent flooding of low-lands in Ouanaminthe.

Both Haiti and DR governments want coordination among environmental agencies (EA) to establish guidelines to govern protection, use, and maintenance of forest lands. They also want EAs to divvy up forestlands among communities near them, giving stewardship over forest and vegetation areas in their own backyards. They will also be responsible for germination centers, to be operated in departments throughout Haiti. The goal GOH has set is 50 million seeds produced each year, to meet the 2020 goal of 27% green cover in Haiti. Within the next three years, GOH wants to increase green cover from two to four percent.

GOH and DR environmental officials have been attending working meetings to share their research on environmental issues, and discuss possible innovative and cost-effective solutions.

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Read more: Environment, Ouanaminthe, Reforestation, Energy Environment

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