Above: the opening of a new artificial lake in Haiti (Photo: OP)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti President Michel Martelly visited the country’s northwest this weekend to inaugurate a group of new small artificial lakes.

Martelly’s trip included stops in Baie-de-Henne in the area of Mole-St-Nicolas and Raymond, in Jean-Rabel.

The delegation included Agriculture Minister Jacques Thomas and Senator Hyppolite Melius.

The lakes are part of Haiti’s National Programme of Artificial Lakes, which has established over 160 in the country thus far.

The lakes are intended to serve both as fish breeding centres and as water reservoirs, which are particularly important for crops and livestock during times of drought. The lakes can also be used for irrigation.

The President was also met at the opening by Deputies Pierre Matin Tatou, Johnson Dieujuste, Secretary of State for Agriculture Vernet Joseph and the charge de mission for the presidency for the Northwest, Destima Raymond Fedner.

The group was also accompanied by agronomist Karl Charlemagne, departmental director in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Martelly said the lakes were important for establishing self-sufficiency in food in the region, which has repeatedly experienced periods of drought.

Haiti’s President has been pushing to “decentralize” Haiti and spur sustainable development in the country’s outer regions.