EVOLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF THE BRAZILIAN MILITARY BASE IN HAITI - BRAENGCOY CASE STUDY

The Brazilian Engineering Company (BRAENGCOY) was a Military Organization (MO) of the Brazilian Army Engineering which was created in Haiti in 2005 with the purpose of providing engineering support in the context of the... [ view full abstract ]

The Brazilian Engineering Company (BRAENGCOY) was a Military Organization (MO) of the Brazilian Army Engineering which was created in Haiti in 2005 with the purpose of providing engineering support in the context of the United Nations Organization Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to other MO and promoting local development. In 2010, 2011 and 2017, a team of environmental specialists of the Brazilian Army visited BRAENGCOY to perform several missions, among others, to survey the environmental aspects of the MO. Prior to 2014, the United Nations used to hold environmental inspections aimed at monitoring the environmental performance and technical support for the implementation of environmental aspects. The environmental inspections were carried out by the Environmental Compliance Unit (ECU), which also defined the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that were applied throughout the mission. In 2014, a statement of MINUSTAH's Environmental Policy was published, emphasizing adherence to the regulations prescribed in the Environmental Policy of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support (DPKO / DFS). One of the requirements of the DPKO / DFS was the elaboration of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) to specify the necessary actions to solve critical environmental problems in the mission and the implementation schedule. The EAP listed the following topics to ensure environmental compliance of the mission and reduction of environmental impact: environmental management system; environmental baseline survey; impact assessment and closure of sites; water and wastewater management; solid waste management and waste minimization strategies; hazardous waste management; energy consumption; air pollution reductions strategies; environmental awareness and communication; wild animals and plants; cultural and historical resources management. Considering these aspects, this paper aims to identify environmental development of the areas under the responsibility of BRAENGCOY. The methodology applied in this work was an analysis of the study area’s satellite images carried out in parallel with the reports and observations developed by the environmental technical team located in the place. It was possible to identify the following significant improvements in the maintenance of  the military base’s green areas: wastewater management; water reuse; rainwater harvesting; maintenance and repair of vehicles; health service waste management; disease vector control (rodents, mosquitoes and cockroaches); food preparation facilities (kitchens, ranches and dining rooms); operation of water treatment plants; storage of hazardous substances; operation of diesel generators and leakage control of fuels; storage and distribution of petrol, oil and lubricants; and treatment and final disposal of waste.

Keywords: BRAENGCOY, environmental performance, environmental condition.