Unprepared, Gonaïves once again fears flooding, losses during the hurricane season 

GONAIVES —As Haïti’s enters its hurricane season its Artibonite region coastal city of Gonaïves finds itself dangerously unprepared. Residents face imminent danger with no comprehensive plan from government officials to protect them from the looming weather catastrophes. 

“The Departmental Emergency Operations Center has no equipment available to save lives in case of danger,” said Faustin Joseph, the Departmental Director of Civil Protection and Emergency (COUDP) in the Artibonite region. “There will be serious consequences if a hurricane hits the department and the city of Gonaïves.”

“The department has no contingency plan in place for the hurricane season,” agronomist Manus Acceus,” The Departmental Director of the Ministry of Environment said.

Gonaïves, located in Haiti’s Artibonite region, is under significant threat as the hurricane season, running from June 1 to November 30, begins. The primary issue plaguing the city is the non-drainage of the canals and the neglected cleaning of underground sewers, which are crucial to preventing usual flooding from La Quinte River during heavy rains and hurricanes. These vital infrastructures have not been properly maintained for years, with the last significant cleaning occurring over a decade ago. Years later, with no functional drainage systems, no proper equipment, and a coordinated response plan, the Independence City is left vulnerable to catastrophic flooding, threatening both lives and livelihoods.

Technical deficiencies, infrastructure failures

Gonaïves, situated 107 km from Port-au-Prince, is notoriously vulnerable to natural disasters. The city faced its most devastating floods with hurricanes like Jeanne in 2004 and Hanna in 2008 followed by Ike. These disasters resulted in the loss of several thousands of lives and livestock, many people reported missing and the destruction of many houses and plantation fields. 

However, despite two decades passing since the devastating hurricanes, the authorities have not implemented sustainable measures to address these risks. Consequently, the city’s environmental and road infrastructure remains precarious. Officials have once again engaged in ongoing discussions about a contingency plan, but it has yet to materialize. As a result, the city remains susceptible to severe consequences of heavy rainfall, including floods and potential hurricanes.

“The center emergency tasks force has no equipment available to save lives if any danger arises. The material once used for emergency responses was looted during the 2022 protests against former Prime Minister Ariel Henry,” Joseph said.

La Quinte River  originates in the foothills of the Northern Massif. It flows westward, then southwest, passing through the port city of Gonaïves before emptying into the Gulf of La Gonâve via Gonaïves Bay. The river receives water from several significant water banks, including the Bayonnais River, the Ennery River, the Tête Source River, and the La Branle River. It is prone to severe flooding during cyclones due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

“Crops are at risk of being lost in the farmers’ fields, due to possible flooding in the Grand Mont locality of Gonaïves,”

Robert Saint-Paul, president of the Federation of Irrigating Farmers of the Gonaïves Plain (FEPIPGO)

Years ago, the Departmental Directorate of Public Works, Transport, and Communications (TPTC) along with the Organization for the Development of the Artibonite Valley (ODVA) worked together to maintain the Quinte River and the city’s canals curation. Now, with no intervention from these institutions, the canals connected to the river are obstructed and the river poses a significant threat to the city.

“With no equipment, we only have the human resources at the Emergency Operations Center of the Departmental Civil Protection, along with international partners and state institutions,” Joseph the leader of COUDP said. “This could plunge the population into a major catastrophe.”

The mayor of Gonaïves, Donald Dirogène said that the city municipal administration emergency’s preparedness is no different from the other government offices. The mayor’s office is ill-equipped to handle the cleaning of canals and sewers. 

“The canals connected to La Quinte River should be cleaned to prevent the river from invading the farmers’ lands located in the locality of Grand-Mont,” Mayor Dirogène said.

The problem is not only caused by the absence of functional drainage systems and the neglect of river cleanup, but also by farmers using the river’s edge to grow crops. On a recent July visit, vegetables and root crops mixed with gabions can be seen around the river’s edge, further obstructing the normal flow of the river.

“I lost all my belongings in my house due to a wave of flooding during the passage of the last cyclone in the city of Gonaïves,” Honorat Joseph, a resident of Grand-Mont said. He called for immediate measures to prevent future disasters. 

A city on the brink, a population living with fear

With a history of devastating flooding and hurricanes, the residents of Grand-Mont, one of the most vulnerable localities in Gonaïves, are understandably anxious whenever a storm is announced in the Caribbean region. In recent conversations with the Haïtian Times, they expressed deep fears and frustrations over the ongoing lack of preparation.

“We witnessed a real massacre of our lands during the passage of hurricanes like Jeanne, Hanna, and Ike,” Derman Estimable a farmer in Grand-Mont said.” “I lost everything during the hurricanes.” Estimable said reminded that he had never seen the Independence City of Gonaïves faced such a situation during those times.

“Hurricane season in Gonaïves means significant deficits in farmland in Grand-Mont,” said Marc Eddy François, a farmer in the area.

As farmers brace for the potential damages that the hurricane season could bring, a recent overflow from a clogged branch of the river has already devastated most farmlands. Farmers are now overwhelmed with the arduous task of manual cleanup and fear they may not be able to cultivate their crops. The flooding threatens not only the local economy but also the region’s food security.

“The drains and canals are in poor condition compared to years before because of the lack of technical equipment,” François said.

“Crops are still at risk of being lost in the farmers’ fields, due to the flooding in the Grand-Mont locality,” Robert Saint-Paul said. Saint-Paul is the president of the Federation of Irrigating Farmers of the Gonaïves Plain (FEPIPGO). 

Financial constraints, the path forward and a call or action

On Aug. 4th, hurricane Debby bears down on the United States Southern state of Florida, bringing the threat of a life-threatening storm surge and up to 30 inches of rain. The country’s coastal regions are often at risk when hurricanes hit Florida, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of places like Gonaïves. With storm season in full effect, the precarious situation in Gonaïves becomes even more concerning. Regardless of the possible danger, the city lacks the necessary resources and strategic measures to safeguard its population. 

Despite the dire situation, there are ongoing discussions about cleaning the Quinte River. An estimated budget of 70M Haïtian Gourdes or USD 532,219.61 is needed for hurricane season preparations according to Enold Dorsaintvil, an engineer and the TPTC Artibonite departmental director. However, financial assistance remains elusive. Dorsaintvil said the regional department has yet to receive a response to the financial request from two months ago. 

“Infrastructure problems have long caused difficulties in the sanitation plan of the city of Gonaïves,” Canals and drains are not maintained continuously because of uncontrolled construction. This represents a significant handicap for water circulation in the city, said Dorsaintvil.

“We are determined to clean all the canals and drains of the city of Gonaïves and the communal sections.”

Acceus, the departmental director of the Ministry of Environment expressed deep concern over the mismanagement of funds allocated for the La Quinte River. He emphasized the need for transparency in the use of these funds, particularly within the protection framework for watersheds. Acceus pointed out that despite significant investments, the expected improvements were not seen, raising questions about the efficiency and accountability of the involved parties. He stressed that numerous public and private institutions are involved in the watershed work, yet the results remain unsatisfactory.

“We need to have details on how these funds are used within the environment protection framework,” Acceus said, denouncing the waste of money in the cleanup and the curation on La Quinte River during past hurricane seasons.

“The problem with the contingency plan is the need for an update for the Artibonite department,” Joseph concluded.

Evince Jérémy, departmental manager of agricultural engineering at the Departmental Directorate of Agriculture acknowledged the river’s cleanup being neglected by government officials for several years, making it imperative to initiate the work. He said there are ongoing discussions with the city Mayor Dirogène, on the formula to adopt to clean La Quinte River, which represents a threat to the Independence city during the hurricane season. Jérémy emphasized the critical need for action and the promises made to address this issue.

“Mayor Dirogène made promises for TPTC to make available equipment such as the tracker excavator and dump truck to help clean the river,” Jérémy said. 

“The solution lies in a comprehensive, well-funded plan to clean and maintain the Quinte River and other critical infrastructure. Only through coordinated efforts can Gonaïves hope to mitigate the devastating effects of the hurricane season.” Dorsaintvil said.

The post Unprepared, Gonaïves once again fears flooding, losses during the hurricane season  appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Unprepared, Gonaïves once again fears flooding, losses during the hurricane season  was first posted on August 9, 2024 at 8:00 am.