Soil Erosion in Haiti

 Soil erosion in Haiti is perhaps one of the saddest environmental degradation stories in modern times. The erosion has resulted in, or accentuated, the numerous other problems the country faces.

To date, world efforts towards addressing this environmental tragedy are inadequate and have not achieved high levels of success. Soil erosion has led to:

• Damages to building foundations

• Siltation of dams

• Accelerated mudslides and flooding in cities and towns

• Limitation to the availability of clean water

• Loss in agricultural productivity

• Loss in fisheries

This soil erosion can however be reduced.

Success with Perennial Grasses

The Haiti Grass Project is one of several projects for agricultural villages that can help decrease poverty in the rural areas.

We’re successfully planting grass in Haiti to reduce soil erosion.  Some of the planting sites include Gonaives, St Marc, Bwa Blan, Jacmel, Marigot, and Port-au-Prince.

Villagers are planting grass in their communities around houses, churches, schools, and other public buildings. Project teams are also working with rural Haitians to plant grass in the mountains.

Planting grass is a relatively inexpensive solution to the ecologically damaging erosion processes. The grass project in Haiti is hampered by lack of grass seed and logistics. Demand is growing to plant in additional areas and to get grass seed. You can help meet this need.

We need your help!

In villages

The demand for grass seed from Villagers in Haiti is HUGE. High demand for seed is testimony of Haitians determination to protect the soils. We are however unable to keep up with the demand for grass seed and help with logistics.

With nominal donations, together we can stabilize soils with deeply rooting grasses to protect the land from erosion. Please help us by supporting the planting of 1, 2, or more acres!  

As the soils become stabilized, another way you can join us is to support the planting of fruit trees to bring fruit and revenue for the villagers.

Please support this cause. Let’s put an end to soil erosion in Haiti!

it starts On the Mountains

The massive mudslides during hurricanes and storms start in the deforested mountains. Trees in the mountains are continually being cut down for fuel.  Torrential rains come down with heavy force, pounding and pelting the bare mountainsides. This sets floods gashing down the mountain sides and taking with them the nutrient rich topsoil which in turn is deposited in the lowlands, freshwater bodies, and the ocean. Once deposited in fresh water bodies, the topsoil silts or fills the dams, reducing their usefulness. Once lost, this soil can never be retrieved back to the mountains.  

Deposited in the oceans, this soil detrimentally affects fisheries, where more than 400 villages in Haiti rely on fisheries. Loss of the nutrient-rich topsoil has resulted in the infertile soils and agriculture losses to Haiti's agrarian economy.  When soils can't support agriculture as they should, the country also faces threats to food security, and resorts to relying on imports. 

On the other hand, if the tropical rains were to come on our planted grass on the mountains, thanks to you for helping to plant the grass, the grass will break the force from the rains and let the rain percolate into the ground to fill aquifers as opposed to rushing down the mountain sides.

Disaster Preparedness

We often hear about disaster recovery. Even better still would be preparation in advance to alleviate the impact of disasters. Hurricanes are a major disaster in Haiti.  They have killed thousands of people, mostly through landslides due to unstable soils. To minimize mudslides, Haitian villagers are planting grasses as part of the project, to stabilize soils in the eroded areas.

Be part of the long-term solution for hurricane preparedness. A few dollars now can save innumerable lives over generations. Your donation is key to this solution.

Education on Environmental Conservation

Education on natural resource conservation is crucial in Haiti. Evidence shows this results in a mind-shift, a change in cultural practices, and increased valuation of the environment.

Join the environment education team in Haiti to bring awareness to hundreds of individuals and communities.

Tree and Grass Nurseries

In the US we can go to Lowes, Home Depot, and many places to buy plants and grass. This is not so in Haiti. Nurseries are not readily available.

That’s why we’re establishing nurseries for trees and grasses. Villagers plant trees native to Haiti in the nurseries. Our experiences show that villagers are less likely to cut trees if they have grown the trees themselves. When the trees are ready, villages can sell them for income. The nurseries also serve as education centers. 

Solar cookers

People in Haiti cut trees down to use for charcoal. Until alternatives for cooking fuel have been developed, the trees will disappear.  Haiti has plentiful sunlight. We’re therefore experimenting with providing solar cookers to reduce the number of trees cut for charcoal.

The project’s first solar cooker was donated by Board member Dr Fancy Funk.