Tropentag, September 17 - 19, 2018 in Ghent "Global food security and food safety: The role of universities"

Local Application of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Mosquito River Watershed with Focus on Vegetable Production

PROTOS, Belgium

Abstract

The capitalisation is part of a Research-Action approach and aims to produce, manage and share the knowledge and know-how acquired by the actors themselves in terms of practical methods of IWRM at the local level, focused on vegetable production at household level. As part of an integrated approach to water resources management initiated by Protos and ODRINO since 2008 in Haiti, several actors from the area have come together to plan, operate and manage water resources, water and associated resources. With this in mind, a Watershed Committee (CBVRM) was created. This structure has developed a strategic plan to coordinate the development and management of water resources within the estimated 40,000 inhabitants of the Mosquito River watershed. Since 2013, CBVRMED has selected the Matha Gap sub watershed to scale up the IWRM approach. The actions carried out are part of the Strategic Plan of the watershed of the Mosquitos River. At Mosquito this methodology was developed by the University of Liège (Belgium) in 2009 and has now served as a frame for implementation. Several actions were performed: protection of soils, reforestation, the production of vegetable crops which allows the recovery of animal and domestic waste, crop residues and the reduction of free livestock (protection of biological and mechanical structures has been put in place). This activity also contributes to improving the food security of beneficiary households and enables them to earn money to meet certain needs. Women are the main beneficiaries and producers of vegetables as part of the actions in Matha. In spite of the difficult journey (because of the altitude and the stiffness of the ramps), women produce vegetables even in the dry period by drawing water in the Mosquito River, an arduous task. They know the importance of market gardening for the survival of their families. For example, they testified that papaya is a very profitable crop. They sold papayas to send their children to school. The action-research is still on-going and more data are gathered to analyse the impact of the actions. Investigations on land use management and risk management are identified to be performed in the near future.
More information on the ongoing action-research is available on this link:
https://www.protos.ngo/sites/default/files/publications/files/ra_2016-haiti_gire_locale.pdf

Keywords: Ecological sanitation, erosion, food security, Haiti, integrated water resource management, NGO

Contact Address: Katrien Van Hooydonk, PROTOS, Flamingostraat 36, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, e-mail: katrien.vanhooydonkprotos.ngo