When nature strikes: understanding the climate emergency in Haiti
Author: Donaldo Jean. Haiti Delegate of the Youth Congress for Sustainable Americas (YCSA), a program of the Biennial of the Americas.
In Haiti, climate policy measures remain limited but exist on paper. The Haitian State has adopted several national and international commitments, including:
The Department of the Environment has implemented some initiatives such as reforestation campaigns, risk and disaster management projects, but they often lack funding and continuity. The Disaster Risk Reduction Framework has been strengthened through the Civil Protection Directorate, in particular with the support of international partners.
I believe that the environmental challenges we face in Haiti are closely linked to those of the Caribbean region. Our countries share the same vulnerabilities: insularity, economic dependence, recurring natural disasters and, above all, increased exposure to the effects of climate change.
Rising waters, increasingly violent hurricanes, coastal erosion, loss of biodiversity... these are common realities. Hurricane Melissa, which recently hit my hometown of Petit-Goâve, is just one example among many others of the climate upheavals that are affecting our region.
But beyond disasters, there is also a Caribbean solidarity to build. Our countries must strengthen regional cooperation on risk management, climate resilience, renewable energy, protection of the Caribbean Sea and sustainable management of our forests.
My vision of sustainability and the environment in Haiti as a young person committed to my community, I firmly believe that the environmental issue is one of Haiti's greatest challenges and hopes. My country is rich in biodiversity, fertile land, natural wonders, but this wealth is in danger. Every day, we witness the consequences of the lack of sustainable management of our resources: deforestation, erosion, water pollution, food insecurity, not to mention increasingly violent natural disasters such as Hurricane Melissa.
For me, sustainability is not a foreign concept. It encourages sustainable agricultural practices, protects our forests, invests in environmental education and requires strong public policies in the face of climate change.
We have just experienced a drama with Hurricane Melissa, which killed more than dozens of people in Petit-Goâve, my hometown. Entire families are homeless. Coastal ecosystems are being destroyed, mangroves are retreating and our rivers are overflowing without any infrastructure to cope with them.
The worst thing about all this is that young people are the first victims, but also often the least listened to. Yet we have ideas, solutions and a fierce will to protect our territory.
So, what to do?
1. Investing in climate education: Every child, every student, must understand ecological issues. It starts in our schools, our universities, our communities.
2. Strengthening regional cooperation: Caribbean countries must join forces. What affects Haiti also affects the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, etc.
Since my childhood, I grew up with the storms, floods and droughts that upset our lives. But what I live today, like many other young people in the region, goes far beyond the simple "rainy season". It is a climate crisis that threatens our existence, our food security and our hopes for the future.
The Caribbean region is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the effects of climate change, although we contribute only less than 1% of the global source of greenhouse gas emissions: Climate Analytics, 2020). However, we suffer:
- A rise in sea level: according to the World Bank, it could increase by 1 meter by 2100, which would engulf entire coasts.
The main purpose of this article is to raise awareness among the public, decision-makers and international actors of the environmental reality that Haiti is going through, especially through the concrete impact of Hurricane Melissa. By highlighting the direct link between extreme climate phenomena and global climate change, I wish to:
- Make visible the human and ecological consequences in the most vulnerable regions such as Petit-Goâve;
- Call for greater regional and international solidarity, particularly in terms of prevention, adaptation and climate resilience;
- Encourage young people to get involved in environmental protection and sustainable initiatives;
- And above all, highlight the urgency of rethinking our environmental policies for a more sustainable future.
The goal is for readers to realize that climate change is not an abstraction: it has real, immediate, and often dramatic consequences for the most vulnerable populations.
Source:
1. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/06/hurricane-melissa-storm-strength-climate-crisis
2. www.reuters.com/ sustainability/climate-energy/ hurricane-melissa-hits-cuba-hours-after-devasting-jamaica-2025-10-29/
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