FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Montreal, December 3, 2024 – Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada is proud to launch a new climate change adaptation project in Haiti in partnership with the Institut de Technologie et Animation (ITECA), a long-standing local partner organization. The project is funded by the Government of Quebec through its globally acclaimed International Climate Cooperation Program, which is part of the province’s 2030 Green Economy Plan.
The Project to support the adaptation to climate change of production systems in marine and terrestrial ecosystems (PRADECO for its French acronym) will be implemented the coastal communes of Les Anglais and Tiburon in Haiti’s South Department, whose marine and terrestrial ecosystems have been weakened and degraded. This environmental issue is negatively affecting the subsistence activities of the local populace and exacerbating food insecurity for many families.
The three-year project (2024-2027) aims to reduce the vulnerability to climate change of people who depend on the two ecosystems. Adopting a participatory and inclusive approach that integrates gender equality and youth, the PRADECO project will:
- Strengthen local stakeholders’ organizational and strategic capacities to adapt production systems to the impacts of climate change.
- Mobilize community organizations, local authorities and decentralized government departments in the environmental governance of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the La Cahouane protected area.
More specifically, the project aims to promote sustainable agricultural and fishing practices; raise awareness of the effects of climate change; put in place mechanisms to preserve marine and terrestrial biodiversity; strengthen the resilience of local communities to the impacts of climate change; generate data on the state of ecosystems; and strengthen environmental governance. In total, PRADECO will reach 2,045 people directly and 53,170 indirectly. Program officer Mary Durran believes that “Although Haiti has one of the world’s smallest carbon footprints, it is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. This ecological project will redress that injustice by not only making communities more immediately resilient but also addressing the structural causes of their vulnerabilities. It is very reassuring that while many seem to have forgotten them in their hour of crisis, Quebec remains committed to the Haitian people.”
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About Development and Peace – Caritas Canada
Development and Peace — Caritas Canada is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada. It works in partnership with local organizations in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East to create greater justice in the world and to act in solidarity with the most vulnerable people.
For more information, contact:
Minaz Kerawala
Communications and Public Relations Advisor
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada
514 257-8710 ext. 328 | mkerawala@devp.org
