Above: Haitian students commemorating International Environment Day in June (UN Photo: Logan Abassi)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Building a robust science sector would go a long way toward helping Haiti recover from the devastation of the 2010 earthquake and its aftermath, according to a report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The report, “Science for Haiti,” offers a series of goals for improving and developing Haiti’s science sector, including cultivating scientific expertise in areas that support sustainable development.

“The task of increasing science capacity must be integrated into the full range of local, regional and national efforts to rebuild Haiti,” the report’s authors conclude.

The report was sponsored by several organisations, including the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy, its Caribbean Division and the University of Puerto Rico, among others.

“Haiti needs to integrate science into the process of reconstruction and renewal,” said Fritz Deshommes, vice rector of research at l’Universite d’Etat d’Haiti. “This report will help build the scientific community in Haiti and strengthen bonds with the regional and global scientific community.”