The Challenge
To contribute to enhanced effectiveness of the URBAYITI programme in Haiti (Part A).

Our work and approach
In 2018, Haiti was the third most urbanized country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over half the population now lives in urban areas, a shift from 90% rural in the 1950s. Annually, over 133,000 residents move from rural to urban areas. The World Bank noted that violence, political instability, and natural disasters have hindered urbanization benefits. The 2010 earthquake and 2016 Hurricane Matthew exposed vulnerabilities to natural disasters and climate change. Local authorities emphasize optimized neighborhood layouts for managing infrastructure. The post-earthquake reconstruction program tested small-scale urban planning tools and highlighted the need to update urban planning policies. Haiti lacks a comprehensive urban planning code, with only the 1963 law providing some legal framework. There is consensus on updating the legal framework to address current challenges and clarify responsibilities. Urban development is managed by municipalities, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Interministerial Committee for Territorial Planning. The Urbayiti Program, funded with 37.1 million EUR from the European Commission, aims to promote inclusive development and resilience, focusing on coordinated urban planning and risk management.

Results and Insights
Eight actionable recommendations primarily addressing the Urbayiti CCS were formulated, including: incorporating the conceptual logic of the program in the implementation of its interventions; empowering the representativeness of the CCS to ensure strategic coordination of Urbayiti; establishing an implementation schedule for Urbayiti that allows for a coherent chronology of the various interventions and their results; encouraging progress on unifying outcomes of the program; proposing avenues for establishing exit strategies that can be adopted by Urbayiti's implementation partners; and considering the implementation of specific components for integrating gender and rights dimensions.