In a decisive step to curb rampant overexploitation of natural resources and safeguard ecologically fragile ecosystems surrounding Haiti’s capital, Environment Minister Valéry Fils-Aimé officially launched the second phase of government intervention targeting illegal sand quarries on June 16, 2026. The launch event took place at Laboule 12, covering four high-risk upland areas: Pèlerin, Laboule, Boutillier, and Kenscoff, all located in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince.
The minister was joined at the event by a cross-agency delegation of regional and national stakeholders, including the West Department’s delegate and deputy delegate, the Director General of the National Agency for Protected Areas (ANAP), the Mayor of Kenscoff, deputy mayors of Pétion-Ville, the Pétion-Ville Police Commissioner, local Community Action Committee (CASEC) leaders, the West Departmental Director of the Environment, the Director of Environmental Inspection and Surveillance (DISE), and senior officials from the National Bureau of Environmental Evaluation (BNÉE).
During the event, Minister Fils-Aimé reinforced the Haitian government’s unwavering commitment to ending unregulated sand extraction, a practice that has been linked to accelerated degradation of critical watersheds, increased risk of catastrophic natural disasters, and eroded livelihood stability for local communities in impacted zones.
Three core policy measures were announced as part of the new intervention phase. First, an immediate 30-day temporary ban on sand transport truck access to all four target areas took effect June 16. The temporary restriction is designed to halt further damage to these ecologically sensitive landscapes and give technical experts time to conduct full on-site assessments. To ensure compliance, a multi-agency monitoring checkpoint will be permanently staffed at the entrance to Laboule 12, with ANAP’s Bureau of Protected Areas, DISE, and the West Departmental Environment Directorate leading operations, backed by the Haitian National Police (PNH), local municipal governments, community leaders, and the West Departmental Delegation.
Second, the Bureau of Mines and Energy (BME) has been tasked with completing a comprehensive national mapping of all active sand extraction sites. The mapping effort will document the exact location of each site, the scale of ongoing extraction activities, and whether each operation meets the requirements of Haiti’s existing environmental and mining regulations.
Third, the BNÉE will conduct a full environmental and social impact assessment of all quarrying activities documented in the target region. Once the technical assessment is complete, the Ministry of the Environment will issue final rulings, which may include permanent closure for any sites found to pose significant risks to the natural environment, public safety, or broader national public interest.
Unregulated illegal sand quarrying has been a longstanding environmental challenge in Haiti’s West Department, with prior government data showing as much as 89 percent of all quarries in the region operating without valid permits. Years of unregulated extraction in the uplands above Port-au-Prince have destabilized hillsides and damaged watersheds, increasing the country’s already high vulnerability to flooding and landslides during hurricane and rainy seasons. In closing, ministry officials emphasized that protecting the nation’s mountain ecosystems, critical watersheds, and natural resources is a non-negotiable national priority, and the Haitian state will fully uphold its responsibility to preserve this strategic heritage and reduce the country’s exposure to avoidable natural hazards.