Haiti looking to reverse deforestation – to plant 1.2 million trees in a single day

Haiti, one of the world’s most deforested countries, launches its first national tree-planting program in May this year. The Martelly administration government calls the effort “a big signal” that Haiti is determined to reverse environmental degradation and address one of the main causes of poverty on the island-nation.

Stripped of 98 percent of its trees, Haiti suffers deforestation’s impoverishing side effects, like soil erosion, poor agricultural productivity, and desertification. In the three years since the 2010 earthquake, Haiti has been hit by multiple landslides during its six-month rainy season. This adds to the woes of some of its most vulnerable people, already affected by frequent natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

The new reforestation drive aims to replace the 30 to 40 million trees cut down every year for firewood, a common source of fuel for cooking. The tree planting will take place at seven sites across the country, and 1.2 million saplings will be planted in a single day, May 1, according to Jean Lucien Ligonde, a senior adviser to the ministry of environment.

Read more: Christian Science Monitor