Haiti Takes Root: Canaan Urban Greening Project
Under the banner of the Haiti Takes Root Initiative, a unique public-private collaboration that promotes sustainable reforestation, J/P HRO launched the Canaan Urban Greening Program (CUG) in partnership with the American Red Cross (ARC) in April.
Canaan, a city that emerged after the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake, is located on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Today, the informal community has rapidly expanded and is known as one of Haiti’s largest urban zones, with an estimated population of 200,000.
Through the CUG Program, we have been able to implement green infrastructure in this urban community via our four main objectives: greening public spaces, greening infrastructure in no-build zones, expanding urban greening, and promoting sustainable urban agroforestry.
Greening progresss in Parc Horeb
In early July, J/P HRO completed landscape level planning for two parks, Parc Horeb and Parc Union, as part of our first objective to green public spaces. Both parks include “mini-forest” plots that will feature innovations to encourage rapid growth of trees and shrubs, while simultaneously improving soil conditions and mitigating floods. We worked closely with Dr. Starry Sprenkle Hyppolite, a forester with extensive Haiti knowledge, to develop detailed planting plans and community trainings.
As part of our second objective, with our partner Acceso, we are developing strategies to pilot activities in several no-build zones. We are currently engaging local entrepreneurs to plant and cultivate trees in steep hillsides and ravines. Trees will also be planted along roadsides, where residents will be able to care for the trees, while at the same time delineating important roadways. Lastly, we are exploring the possibility of planting trees to discourage trespassing on larger privately owned lands in the area.
Our third objective, expanding urban greening, aims to replicate greening activities across Canaan. In July, we celebrated two major steps towards raising visibility and resources in the area. As part of Citi Global Community Day, CitiBank Haiti’s employees and their families joined J/P HRO, the Haitian Red Cross, the ARC, and the community to plant trees in two public green spaces and at the homes of more than a dozen residents. We also received our first “Adopt-a-Park” sponsorship from the First Methodist Church of Baldwinsville, NY. The community was very inspired by the CUG’s vision of greening Canaan and the donation will be used to improve conditions in a small park.
Tree planting day in Canaan with CitiBank Haiti and the Red Cross
Finally, J/P HRO’s activities under the CUG seek to promote sustainable agroforestry as an effective way to protect the environment while strengthening livelihoods. This is extremely important in the informal community of Canaan, where residents face challenges related to both environmental degradation and lack of economic opportunities on a daily basis. In partnership with Acceso, we have been conducting market research on the moringa tree in order to establish an urban agroforestry pilot in Canaan. Thus far we have inaugurated 2 nurseries, produced 37,000 moringa seedlings and 6,000 castor seedlings, and organized 3 community meetings with the ARC in order to identify local agroforestry entrepreneurs.
Overall, July has been the busiest month yet for the Canaan Urban Greening Program since its launch in April and we are excited to continue our advancements towards a greener, more sustainable Canaan.
