The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Haiti which underlines the need to preserve the country’s forests, resources and soils and defines mutual commitments for the improvement of the environment and for the conservation of natural resources.
According to Caribbean News Service – USAID also supported an initiative by the Ministry of Environment to reduce the use of plastic bags, and distributed 500 reusable bags to students and all those who participated in a recent event to celebrate International Earth Day.
An additional 4,500 bags will be distributed at local schools and grocery stores in Port-au-Prince – the bags are produced by a local Haitian company and are made of poplin, a weaving of wool, cotton, silk, rayon, polyester or a mixture of these fibers.
USAID has a long partnership with the Ministry of the Environment in various reforestation and conservation initiatives aimed at preserving natural resources for economic growth and resilience. Protecting trees in Haiti also means protecting the hills against landslides, and the lowlands against flooding and sedimentation.
Fish not only contributes to the income of Haitian fishermen, but also has an impact on the health of Haiti’s coral reef ecosystems.
