In 2021, Haiti was ranked the third in the world for being most vulnerable to climate risks.1 Recurrent and more severe
natural disasters continue to challenge Haitians’ resilience. Extreme weather events, heat, pounding rainstorms, and
extended drought exacerbate Haiti’s vulnerability. Sea-level rise, bringing saltwater into groundwater systems, plagues
coastal communities, promoting migration away from seafaring livelihoods to dwindling land space for agriculture. The
hydrology of climate change is presenting profound challenges to water security, food security, health, and livelihoods. In
FY 2022, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the Community Driven
Development (CDD) project to respond to the water needs of farming communities in northeast Haiti that were
struggling with 10 consecutive years of drought. CDD, implemented by the Organization of the American States (OAS)
through its local partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), began building the capacity of smallholder
farming communities, their local authorities, and academia together to predict, prepare for, and adapt to the recurrent
droughts caused by climate change. CDD supported the State University of Haiti-Limonade to establish the Center for
Water Resilience to engage academia and the public in dialogue on issues related to water security. In partnership with
Auburn University (Alabama), the project provides support to students in the Agricultural Engineering Department of
the university to analyze annual climate data and work with farming communities, disseminating usable information and
adaptive approaches to water use and management.
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