Implementation Completion Report - Forest & Parks Protection Technical Assistance Project
Summary — This report summarizes the implementation and outcomes of the World Bank-funded Forest & Parks Protection Technical Assistance Project in Haiti. The project aimed to protect critical forest ecosystems and slow natural resource degradation by strengthening government capacity and supporting local communities. However, due to political instability and implementation challenges, the project's overall outcome was unsatisfactory.
Key Findings
- The project failed to achieve its overall objectives due to political instability and implementation challenges.
- The project initiated interventions for the protection of critical remnants of Haiti's forest ecosystems, but there is no evidence that it slowed the pace of degradation of its natural resources.
- The project partially met the objective of strengthening the Government's capacity to develop, monitor and implement a national forest and parks protection system, but this capacity seems to have eroded rapidly after the project closure.
- Key activities to protect and manage the La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks, and the Pine Forest National Forest Reserve were initiated under the project, but there is no evidence that they have continued after the project closure.
- The project managed to produce several positive results, including the execution of fourteen studies elucidating various issues related to the management of protected areas.
Full Description
The Haiti Forest & Parks Protection Technical Assistance Project, funded by the World Bank, sought to initiate interventions for the protection of Haiti's remaining forest ecosystems and to slow the degradation of its natural resources. The project aimed to establish the institutional, policy, and financial foundation for the Government of Haiti to promote the protection of critical ecosystems on a national basis. Specific objectives included strengthening the Ministry of Environment and related services, initiating activities to protect and manage La Visite and Pic Macaya National Parks and the Pine Forest National Forest Reserve, and reducing pressure on these protected areas by increasing on-farm productivity and off-farm employment options in buffer zones. However, the project faced significant challenges, including political instability, frequent changes in government leadership, and a failure by the government to fulfill its financial commitments, ultimately leading to an unsatisfactory outcome.