Its hard to explain. i think a change in attitude is in order. E.g.; why eradicate almost all the timber on your island for the immediate gratification of charcoal? It is not only that. Greed is a factor as well. I have witnessed boatloads of charcoal being unloaded at Bahamian ports by Haitian sailboats. Education is a key element as well. And the corruption.......don't get me started there.
I understand that the deforestation began when the Haitians "bought" their freedom from France, with much of the "price" being paid with mahogany for the greater part of a century.
That was a bad deal.
The Haitians should have just killed the French---the slaves certainly had the upper hand at the time---instead of raping their own country's resources to make payments for their freedom from their brutal European slavemansters. The price of freedom is blood, not money. It was easy for the French to snooker former slaves who had no education or exposure to outside world practices or diplomatic theory.
What started as an easy way to buy itself turned into a cultural paradigm and norm.
I do agree with you: I'm not sure Haiti can ever be fixed. The only possible way would be for an entity, a benevolent dictator, to just completely take it over as a client state, government, industry, everything, for three generations, do the right thing, install institutional honesty and efficiency, and to educate the youngsters in the New Way and purge the corrupt oldsters. Who should do it? Not the US or UN, and not some Politically Correct group.
So that's why I opine that Haiti is helpless to be fixed. Nothing, nada, not any outside help has made any difference at all. In fact, a case could be made outside "help" has made things worse. One need look no further than the multi-billion cluster f the world---the US included---inflicted post-2010 earthquake Haiti: money came in from International Do-Gooders and money went out to feckless NGO's and their career bureaucrats living the High Life.
IMO, Haiti's short-term future is resort tourism because they have some of the most stunning beaches on the planet. But can you imagine a tougher job than Minister of Tourism of Haiti? Tourism cash is about the easiest cash possible, and that is what Haiti needs: an influx of a consistent stream of hard cash. At one time Haiti was one of the most popular Caribbean tourist destinations!
The DR policy of border protection, deportations and economic and logistical help during a disaster is wise. Best to keep most Haitians in Haiti for the sake of the DR. Hire documented temp workers as needed, but don't let Haitian dysfunction spill over because the DR has its own flavor of dysfunction to deal with.
The issue DV8 brought up is just one reflection of sad Haitian dysfunction as a whole.