Haitian National Coalition for the Environment

By Isaac Cherestal, CAPAS

The general situation for the environment in the city of Les Cayes and its surrounding area: the city is threatened! The city is at an altitude of three feet below sea level. Les Cayes was founded by Nicolas Ovando in 1503. The city burned to the ground in 1630 and is in danger of being immersed in water. Les Cayes is between two rivers: Rivyè Lilèt which crosses to the east of the city to empty into Lasavane, and the Ravine of the South which crosses to the west to empty into Dèyèfò.

Over the course of thirty days the commune of Les Cayes received 709mm of rain. There were no deaths in Les Cayes, but in the village of St. Louis du Sud a child died. After the rain many houses were damaged in all the coastal zones. There are no more gardens in these areas, which means there will be hunger in the Les Cayes plain, for people and animals.

A graph of the rain that fell between the months of May to October 2007:

Photos below from Isaac Cherestal:

First photo: where you enter the city of Les Cayes on Boulevard Quartre Chemins. The water reached as high as the attics of the houses along the road to enter Les Cayes.

Second photo: the road to the Hospital Les Cayes. Due to water entering the hopsital, the director was obligated to evacuate the sick and take them to Lise Filip Gèrye.