Jimaní, Dominican Republic. - The inhabitants here have barely recovered from the devastation caused by Haiti’s river Soleil May, 2004, and now see how the nearby lake Azuei “swallows” their homes, advancing within three kilometers from the town.

Despite the lack of rain in the last few months its waters have reached various types of structures, farms and part of the highway that leads to Haiti.

The Azuei has already affected the offices of the Export and Investment Center, the Agriculture Ministry’s quarantine facilities, the Border Guard (Cesfront), Post Office, Customs and other structures, leaving visible just part of the roof.

According to residents Jimani’s Dominican-Haiti border market is now within the ever-rising waters, forcing vendors to dump caliche and gravel to prevent losing the road and their sales area, but the currents have crept below the soil, creating a brackish lagoon on the other end.

Adding to the disaster is the birth of a river east of town, which crosses yards and in front of houses, leaving them amid the lagoon.

Omar Ramirez, director of the Council for Climatic Change, said the new water source results from the higher groundwater level, whereas the Dominican-Haitian journalist Alexander Joseph Gálvez, expressed his concern with the constantly-rising waters on the Dominican side, where he said damages will be more severe.

Joseph said the governments of both countries must solve the problem jointly, because otherwise Jimaní could soon disappear, whereas residents say it’s just a matter of time before the lakes Enriquillo and Azuei join to wipe out their entire community.