Perhaps it’s inevitable that one arrives in Haiti with preconceived notions about the country, given how frequently Haiti appears in the news media with regards to social, political and environmental upheaval. It is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, and widely referred to as the “Republic of NGOs.” Everyone wants to “fix” Haiti. Indeed, for us much of Haiti does seem mired in tragedy and sometimes being there feels like witnessing humanity at an end of time. One wonders exactly what state of affairs it takes for people to live amidst mounds of their waste and filth?

 Haiti poses one of the greatest conundrums. Can alleviation of severe poverty occur in conjunction with environmental regard? In a place like Haiti where such basic human needs as clean drinking water are not often met and cholera is still widespread, isn’t it an indulgence to care about reefs? Shouldn’t that come way down the line?

Clearly, people need clean water, food and shelter. But from those basic needs, and perhaps in order to meet those needs, humans build culture and continue to interact with their environments. Means of subsistence are most sustainable if they come with long term vision that supports biocultural diversity. Haiti has a plethora of projects introduced by NGOs that lie strewn about the country with broken parts, abandoned goals, and people still suffering from the lack of basic provisions. In concert, the land and fish thin and cease to be robust and giving.

Haiti has been confounding to us – or at least the parts of it we saw confounded us. Amidst all this loss and deprivation, we also witnessed perseverance and playfulness, and remarkable skill and capacity among Haitians we met and saw at work. How might a development/conservation project support, defer to, and build upon those qualities?

Being in Haiti, the question of poverty and conservation invokes its twin: can environmental regard coexist in a setting with affluent consumption? Our footprint on the planet is much larger than that of practically everyone we met in Haiti and we are also culpable of fouling our own nest. The crisis of our consumption sometimes also feels like witnessing humans at the end of time.