Bioswales to mitigate floods

In Haiti, climate change has altered the rainy season, which is now shorter, but the rains are more powerful.

The result is flash floods that can decimate an entire regional food production in days. In Marre-Roseau, there is no other source of water, only the rainfall. To add to the problem, Haiti experiences multi-year droughts that parch the land.

Our solution is to build interspersed bioswales to slow down the water flow while allowing the land to be irrigated at the same time.  Concurrently, we promote practices that help maintain the land’s humidity and nourish the topsoil throughout the rest of the year.

The project is ready for implementation but bringing the necessary machinery is not possible due to lack of security. The group is considering the possibility of doing the construction work manually.