Concordia University School of Law, Faculty Scholarship
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2017
Abstract
The Republic of Haiti struggles to sustainably manage its water resources. Public health is compromised by low levels of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene, and water resources are often contaminated and unsustainably allocated. While poor governance is often blamed for these shortcomings, the laws and institutions regulating water resources in Haiti are poorly understood, especially by the international community. This study brings together and analyzes Haitian water laws, assesses institutional capacities, and provides a case study of water management in northern Haiti in order to provide a more complete picture of the sector. Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank as part of the Water Availability, Quality and Integrated Water Resources Management in Northern Haiti (HA-T1179) Project, this study took place from January-July 2015, with the help of local experts and participating stakeholders. The results indicate that Haiti’s water law framework is highly fragmented, with overlapping mandates and little coordination between ministries at the national level, and ambiguous but unrealistic roles for subnational governments. A capacity assessment of institutions in northern Haiti illustrates that while local stakeholders are engaged, human and financial resources are insufficient to carry out statutory responsibilities. The findings suggest that water resources management planning should engage local governments and community fixtures while supplementing capacities with national or international support.
CU Commons Citation
Ryan B. Stoa, Water Governance in Haiti: An Assessment of Laws and Institutional Capacities, 29 Tul. Envtl. L.J. 243, 286 (2017).
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Administrative Law Commons, Environmental Law Commons, Land Use Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legislation Commons, Natural Resources Law Commons, Water Law Commons