Haitian agronomist John Andre Victor told a radio audience that building a hydroelectric dam on the Artibonito River would affect the quantity and quality of the water in the watershed and would have grave consequences for agriculture, energy production and the social economical life of Haiti. The source of the Artibonito River is in the Dominican Republic from where it flows into Haiti.
The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste, quotes Andre Victor who appeared on radio station Magik 9. The newspaper ran with the headline “There is a war of water between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.”
The economist says: “This is the case of the Artibonito River, the Massacre, the Pedernales, and the Azuei Lake that now extends into Dominican territory as a result of the flooding. The majority of these international rivers are born in the Dominican Republic and therefore Haiti must be much more sensitive to this issue. The Artibonito River is strategic for Haiti. It represents 40% of the irrigated land, 75% of the rice production, it provides drinking water for 1 million persons and also represents 90% of the hydroelectric energy production.
The statements from Andre Victor comes after the announcement by Senator Adriano Sanchez Roa that the Medina administration has allotted money in the 2018 National Budget for the study and later construction of a dam on the Artibonito to benefit thousands of Dominicans in one of the poorest areas of the country. According to Sanchez Roa, INDRHI is the agency in charge of the project. INDRHI did not confirm the project to Diario Libre reporters.
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Diario Libre
18 January 2018
