Options for Managing Land Tenure Problems in Haiti

Haiti is plagued with insecure forms of land tenure. There are competing forms of ownership, a large percentage of property does not have formal title, and dispute resolution mechanisms are fragmented and weak. This poses critical problems both because of chronic patterns of high mobility (as a function of circular migration tracking shifting livelihood prospects in urban and rural areas) as well as acute episodes of mass migration following major natural disasters. Government plans and donor strategies call for significant increases in agricultural productivity supported by more intensive, long-term management of land and natural resources. Such strategies will be undermined by lingering problems regarding land tenure.

The objective of the workshop was to compare the situation on the ground with international best practices so as to generate a clear gap analysis that will be used to guide responses. This was done in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme’s Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch and the Environmental Law Institute.