To build Haiti’s resilience against natural disasters, this biologist is restoring its coastlines

In recent years, Haiti has been ravaged by numerous natural disasters, from earthquakes to tropical storms and floods. Local marine biologist Jean Wiener has witnessed how increasingly dangerous these events have become. “One of the main threats to Haiti is climate change,” he says. “Rising sea levels and the destruction of coastal environments will cause major issues in the coming years.” Now, he's at the forefront of reviving the nation’s oceans and coastlines, driving communities towards climate justice. 

In 1992, Wiener began the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Biodiversity (FoProBiM), Haiti’s first and only NGO preserving the country’s coastal and marine ecosystems. Part of their efforts is to enhance the lives of communities through sustainable intervention. “My process has been to use a holistic approach,” Wiener says. Mangrove trees protect people from storms by serving as a buffer to wind and waves, yet locals are forced to cut them down to make charcoal for cooking. Overfishing and the use of coral reefs to make construction material or paint further deplete the natural resources. Where 80% of the population live in poverty, their first priority is to survive, making sustainable living a lesser concern. Wiener has dedicated his life’s work to healing the relationship between people and their environment.

Involving locals in his efforts, together they have planted 700 000 mangrove trees and worked to restore coral reefs. Wiener also helped establish Haiti’s first Marine Protected Areas, and influenced policy which makes it illegal to cut down mangroves in the country. Loggers and fishermen are encouraged to make use of alternative methods to sustain their livelihoods through the initiative’s programmes such as beekeeping. Donations to FoProBiM have supported Weiner to continue safeguarding the country’s ecosystems and its people. “It has taken almost 30 years of hard work, but it does not end here,” he says. “We need to find that balance between living sustainably and still allowing the natural world to thrive.”

Footage by FoProBiM and the Goldman Environmental Prize was used in the creation of this film.