Haiti approves a new Risk and Disaster Management Plan

In an important step towards creating a more resilient region and better prepared to face disasters, the Government of the Republic of Haiti approved the National Risk and Disaster Management Plan 2019-2030, a result of an inclusive, multisectoral and participative process.

The recently approved plan calls for a resilient perspective in Haiti while promoting sustainable and inclusive development. It is also an important contribution to advancing in the achievement of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030’s target E which aims to significantly increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020.

"Implementing national plans for disaster risk reduction, in compliance with the Sendai Framework, is a call for coherence, awareness and integration of different priorities into countries investment decisions. By following this path, we reinforce the importance of building resilient economies and increasing the vision of risk-based development in the region", said Raul Salazar, chief of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean (UNDRR).

In this way, Haiti joins a set of countries in the Americas and the Caribbean to develop and approve a national disaster risk reduction strategy and/or plan. This represents an important step for the Americas and the Caribbean, and especially for Haiti, one of the countries in the world most affected in terms of economic losses (17.5% of GDP) by disasters over the past 20 years. 

The National Risk and Disaster Management Plan 2019-2030 was drawn up taking into account the multi-risk and recurring context of disasters in Haiti, aggravated by climate change and multidimensional poverty. This situation exacerbates the socio-economic and environmental disparities in the country. By endorsing this document, Haiti is therefore committed to strengthening collectively and inclusively its resilience, taking into consideration the principles of gender equity and accountability. It has also led to reduce vulnerability and improve preparedness. and effective disaster response with the active participation of public and private institutions at national, decentralized and community levels.

"The adoption of the plan represents a unique opportunity for all partners to advance a preventive program in a coordinated manner, and all efforts should be made to capitalize on this moment," said Bruno Lemarquis, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator added that adopting a multi-risk perspective involving all sectors,  and promoting synergy and coherence between climate change adaptations and risk reduction is essential for the development of a more comprehensive disaster plan and sustainable action, in line with national priorities.

Strategic axes and institutional lines of action of the plan are aligned, firstly, with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and secondly, with the Haiti Strategic Development Plan (HSDP), with the additional treaties and protocols on climate change and the Caribbean Disaster Management Strategy, formulated by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

This plan will be implemented through a comprehensive program with strategies for both the private and public sectors, with well identified responsibilities and institutional mechanisms, and a monitoring and evaluation system at different stages.

This important achievement has been possible with the support of the United Nations, particularly of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN-Women, with technical support of UNDRR, as custodian agency to the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. But also with financial support of the United States Foreign Assistance Office (USAID/OFDA) and the World Bank.