Haiti scores positively in EPI report amid calls for PM Conille to prioritize  environment

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti has climbed 27 places in the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) standings, despite facing several crises, including critical environmental challenges. This is a significant improvement from its ranking in 2022, with the report featuring 180 countries.

With an average score of 36.2 out of 100, Haiti tied with Guinea for 149th place in the EPI report. The report, published on June 3 by Yale University’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy, emphasizes Haiti’s progress in key areas over the past 10 years, showing a 7.5-point increase. The Ivy League research university released the study in conjunction with World Environment Day on June 5.

In 2022, according to the study, Haiti was ranked 173rd in the EPI standings, categorizing it among the 10 worst countries for environmental management and protection.

As for all 180 countries, Haiti’s improvement is measured across three major indices, which include 11 categories and 58 indicators. The following outlines the country’s progress in each performance index:

Ecosystem Vitality Index — Categorized by Biodiversity and Habitat, Forests, Fisheries, Air Pollution, Agriculture, and Water Resources, Haiti progressed by 11 places compared to 2022. It moved from 165th to 154th with a score of 36.8 in 2024, up from 26.9 in 2022.

Climate Change Index — Categorized by Climate Change Mitigation, Haiti rose to 89th place in 2024, moving from 143rd to 54th in the rankings. It reached a score of 47.7 out of 100, up from 27.9 in 2022.

Environmental Health Index — Categorized by Air Quality, Sanitation & Drinking Water, Heavy Metals, and Waste Management, this was the only area where Haiti’s ranking declined. It dropped five places, from 154th to 159th, with a score of 22.1 in 2024, compared to 21.1 in 2022.

Despite the positive highlights in the EPI report regarding Haiti, the country continues to face significant environmental challenges, especially in densely populated urban areas, particularly in the capital city and its metropolitan regions, which are home to over three million people. Major challenges include deforestation, inadequate waste management, susceptibility to natural disasters, the impact of climate change, as well as socio-economic factors such as poverty, overpopulation, and political instability.

Group calls for transition government to prioritize environmental protection

Just as Haiti was about to celebrate its improved grade from the EPI report, calls for environmental respect and protection have brought attention to a different reality on the ground. Despite the positive report, people continue to experience the negative effects of environmental mismanagement and weak policies in their daily lives. 

Several organizations and advocates for environmental protection have urged decision-makers to implement policies that support a healthier natural environment. One of these organizations is the Collective of Engaged Haitian Journalists for the Environment (COJHEE, per its French acronym).

In a statement issued on June 5, COJHEE used World Environment Day to urge the incoming transitional government, led by Prime Minister Garry Conille, to prioritize environmentally friendly policies in its agenda.

The group of media professionals is advocating for the restoration of the country’s values by adhering to the UN-established Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to environmental protection. COJHEE is particularly highlighting the pervasive sanitation issues in the country, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

“In some places, unsanitary conditions are at their peak,” says COJHEE General Coordinator Lovelie Stanley Numa. “It prevails everywhere, much like the climate of insecurity, imposing itself on the inhabitants of certain neighborhoods.”

The Collective condemns the inadequate management of Haiti’s environment, which is evident in actions such as cutting down trees during protests without a plan for replacement, openly littering the streets, and the frequent presence of corpses—resulting in daily air pollution. “These actions undermine the protection of our environment, which is deteriorating every day under the helpless eyes of our leaders,” the organization stated.

The TPC engages with mayors to improve sanitary conditions

Numerous programs have been rolled out by Haitian authorities, with a focus on Port-au-Prince, aimed at enhancing sanitation in the city. These initiatives encompass waste collection, road maintenance, new construction projects, and the clearance of blocked pipes and sewers. Despite these efforts, various organizations advocating for improved environmental protection policies express ongoing concerns about the situation.

The Presidential Transitional Council (TPC) recently launched an environmental protection campaign in partnership with the municipalities of the West Department, the Centre National d’Equipement (CNE), and the Service National de Gestion des Résidus Solides (SNGRS). The TPC’s objective with this campaign is to promote awareness about environmental management. The program involves the repair of sanitation equipment, sewer cleaning, waste collection and disposal, and decluttering efforts.

Residents of Port-au-Prince, who have witnessed the worst urban sanitation conditions in recent weeks, have reason to welcome the TPC program.

On the eve of World Environment Day, a deluge of rubbish inundated most of Port-au-Prince, particularly on the streets of Bourdon, Lalue, Poste Marchand, and Lamarre. The accumulation of waste in these areas was further worsened by heavy rains as the hurricane season began on June 1.

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