Forty executives from all sectoral ministries and other state institutions received training in environmental assessment, organized by the Ministry of the Environment (MDE) in collaboration with the Francophone Institute for Sustainable Development (OIF-IFDD) and the International Francophone Secretariat for Environmental Assessment (SIFEE).

This training was part of, inter alia, of the mandate of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the Haitian State through the MDE in the definition of strategic policies, resource mobilization, development and the implementation of programs integrated related to key sectors of the environment.

This comprehensive one-week training was structured around the basic knowledge of environmental assessment: process of analysis and assessment methods of environmental impacts, stages of the evaluation process, mitigation measures and of compensation of impacts, development of monitoring programs, the environmental monitoring plan and the application of procedures (administrative processes, public participation, information management) to develop frameworks and tools for environmental assessment and aware them of their roles as members of Environmental Technology Sector Units (UTES) to promote the inclusion of environmental concerns into sectoral development policies.

As part of this training, a field visit was organized to the River Grise in Pernier on the "wild" exploitation of the quarry. This approach allowed the participants to become aware of the magnitude of the uncontrolled exploitation. Remember that this river was 70 meters wide in 1960, today is more than 300 meters and the situation continues to worsen with unrestrained trade of aggregate extraction, without control.

"The synergy around environmental issues among all ministries must become a reality if we really want to achieve sustainable development," indicated Carline Desroches, executive of MDE while stressing that the State and the citizens can not remain indifferent face the degradation of the Haitian environment.

Danielo Saint Valières, Chief of Staff of the Minister thanked all the executives who took part in this training, while inviting them to act "It is now up to the and the officers of the Public Service to apply the acquired training which should lead to the operationalization of UTES," insisting on the establishment of these units at the level of sectoral ministries to ensure the consideration of environmental concerns into sectoral policies (plans, programs, actions and projects).

Katyna Argueta, Deputy Director of UNDP, was pleased that the Ministry of Environment is committed in this way that will help ensure the protection of the environment and the future, noting that "If we continue to engage projects without assessing their environmental impacts the development of today may become the problem tomorrow."

Thumbnail Photo : (From Right to Left) Danielo Valières, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Environment, Katyna Argueta, Deputy Director of UNDP and an executive of the public function certified in environmental assessment.

HL/ HaitiLibre