Sustainable Peace

Sustainable Development and Peace: the Complexities on Land Tenure and Reconstruction in Haiti

Together with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at the Earth Institute, Columbia University, and The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), in Washington D.C., AC4 is currently engaged in applied research investigating conflict and complexity surrounding issues of land tenure in Haiti.

This project endeavors to 1) describe the historical and social context surrounding land tenure in Haiti; 2) detail the legal framework, organizational entities and current policies relevant to land tenure in Haiti; 3) explain the nature of conflicts related to land tenure in Haiti; 4) detail the current practices for addressing these disputes and 5) note potential gaps in the process of the fluid administration of land tenure in Haiti.

This project is specifically aimed towards identifying key stakeholders involved in the aforementioned processes, and to provide recommendations for policy and research directed towards building sustainable peace in Haiti by addressing conflict and complexity related to land tenure.  By combining applied research on the ground with archival research and best practices regarding land tenure in other regions of the world, ELI, CIESIN and AC4, seek to provide holistic solutions to the complex problems faced by the people and government of Haiti by means of locally directed and externally informed interdisciplinary collaboration.

The field research component of the project will consist of a land tenure survey examining tenure patterns and conflict resolution mechanisms on the Southwestern coast of Haiti. The survey will randomly sample 50 households, split between 10 communes from Haiti’s Sud department, and will be supplemented with interviews with local officials. The goal is to conduct the study in March 2012 and use the results as the basis for a workshop and ultimately for policy recommendations. By examining local land tenure perceptions and comparing these with official land tenure regulations, the team hopes to form policy recommendations that will reduce the number of land-based conflicts and increase land tenure security.In addition, this study will generate some baseline data against which further land tenure study results can be measured.

Questions regarding this project can be directed to Hakim M.A. Williams at hwilliams@ei.columbia.edu.