Rotary scales up Haiti water and sanitation project for 70,000 residents

Rotary International is moving to broaden a large-scale water and sanitation effort in Haiti, with the organisation saying the work is intended to improve daily living conditions and cut the spread of diseases linked to unsafe water in vulnerable areas.

The expanded project, called “Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti,” is designed to give about 70,000 people in Cavaillon, Ferrier and Pignon better access to potable water, sanitation facilities and hygiene services by 2030.

Rotary said the programme grows out of the Haiti National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative, known as HANWASH. That model, according to Rotary, has shown results through collaboration with 11 water service providers responsible for keeping systems functioning and supporting paid access to water and sanitation services.

Rotary clubs in Haiti and the wider Caribbean are steering the effort with support from nonprofit groups and Haitian state partners, including Haiti Outreach and the Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement, or DINEPA.

The organisation said the expansion is being pursued as conflict, repeated natural disasters, climate pressures and uneven geography continue to affect safe water and sanitation access in Haiti, exposing millions of people to illnesses tied to poor hygiene and contaminated water.

The initiative is expected to build the ability of communities to create, operate and grow fee-supported water and sanitation systems across 40 urban and rural locations. The work will include encouraging handwashing and healthier hygiene habits, reducing open defecation, repairing and building water systems, and preparing local operators and community leaders to manage and monitor the services over time.

Participating water service providers will also be required to send 10 per cent of their revenue to regional and national water oversight bodies, with the aim of helping widen access to water and sanitation.

“In a fragile setting like Haiti, clean water and sanitation is one of the biggest challenges the country faces, and Rotary aims to address it head on,” said Marlène Gay, a member of the Rotary Club of Petion-Ville and a transition team member for the initiative.

“By partnering with local leaders, other nonprofits, and government agencies, Rotary members are helping to facilitate access to clean water and best sanitation practices for all, reducing waterborne and sanitation-related diseases for the most vulnerable, including children under five, and creating healthier communities for generations to come,” Gay added.

Rotary said the Haiti programme is the sixth project to receive support through its “Programs of Scale” grant initiative, which provides annual funding for evidence-based projects that can grow their impact.

Francesco Arezzo said Rotary members in Haiti and across the Caribbean are collaborating with local partners on lasting answers. “By supporting Collaboration for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems in Haiti, Rotary will be able to help more people gain access to safe water and sanitation—one of the most basic human needs—and lay the groundwork for a healthier, more resilient Haiti,” Arezzo said.

Neil Van Dine said Haiti Outreach’s community-led method, developed since 1997, has reached more than 300,000 people in 550 communities. “This approach has reached more than 300,000 people across 550 communities and helped shape WASH practice nationally,” Van Dine said. “We are proud to partner through Rotary to help scale this Haitian-led model across the country.”

Edwige Petit said the collaboration aligns with the Haitian government’s push to increase access to clean drinking water and end open defecation in rural and peri-urban areas. “As the regulatory body for the sector within the Haitian government, DINEPA is amenable to continuing this collaboration and extending clean water access to every Haitian,” Petit said.