On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Ministry of the Environment officially closed the project "Support for Gender-Sensitive Local Development, Integrating Adaptation to Climate Change" funded by the Government of Taiwan (Republic of China).

The ceremony took place in the presence of Valéry Fils-Aimé, Minister of the Environment, the Taiwanese Ambassador to Haiti, Cheng-Hao Hu, representatives of local authorities, environmental organizations and civil society, students, and project beneficiaries.

Implemented in the North, the project aimed to strengthen the climate resilience of communities by paying particular attention to the participation of women and youth, climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and food security.

Valéry Fils-Aimé commended the results achieved. Of the twelve planned activities, ten were completed, one is being finalized and documented, while one could not be carried out.

In its first year of implementation, the project notably enabled the training of some fifty student leaders and fifty women on climate change adaptation issues. Thirty female heads of household also benefited from communal gardens (lakou), while journalists and women's organizations received awareness training on the links between gender and climate change.

The project also contributed to the establishment of two mini-orchards, the mobilization of school communities, and the funding of two university research projects on climate change and gender issues.

For the Minister of the Environment, the administrative closure of the project should now open a new phase dedicated to building on the achievements and promoting best practices.

Valéry Fils-Aimé therefore invited stakeholders to document the results, monitor them, and identify approaches that could be adapted to other regions. The experience gained in the North could, in particular, inform the development of similar initiatives in other regions of the country, taking into account their specific realities.

The objective, he emphasized, is not to replicate the model exactly, but to build upon its key achievements: local roots, participation of women and youth, mobilization of local institutions, concrete adaptation solutions, and close support.

For his part, Ambassador Cheng-Hao Hu welcomed the strong participation of women and youth. He highlighted the convergence between Haiti and Taiwan around a climate action approach that prioritizes concrete interventions for the benefit of communities and gives women a significant role in local development.

The testimonials of the beneficiaries, he indicated, reinforce his country's commitment to continue supporting Haiti in its efforts toward sustainable development and resilience in the face of climate change.

At the end of the ceremony, Minister Valéry Fils-Aimé presented Ambassador Cheng-Hao Hu with a plaque of honor, in recognition of Taiwan's support in implementing the project and, more broadly, for its cooperation with Haiti.

IH/ iciHaiti