As part of the "flash Haïti" programme put in place by the ANR (French National Research Agency following the earthquake on 12 January 2010, the LGCIE (Rémy Bayard) is also coordinating a research programme concerning the "Decentralised and integrated management of waste and sanitation in urban and sub-urban zones in Haiti" (Gestion décentralisée et intégrée des déchets et de l’assainissement en zones urbaines et périurbaines haïtiennes, GEDEAH).

This programme involves field workers and local and French university partners. A research programme on "Participatory management of waste in the Bois Neuf de Cité Soleil area" had already been launched at the end of 2008 by LGCIE and its partners (notably CEFREPADE, the French Centre for Partnership-based Research into Sanitation, Waste and the Environment) as part of the doctorate of Jean-Christophe Fernandes, jointly supervised by INSA Lyon and UniQ.
This programme focused on developing the collection, processing and recycling of waste. Its scientific objective was to define the conditions for establishing and developing small-scale, sustainable structures for household waste reclamation in a poor neighbourhood.

Jean-Christophe was based in Port-au-Prince. He died in the earthquake of 12 January 2010. On the initiative of the French Embassy in Haiti and in partnership with the "Athlétique d'Haitï" associations and CEFREPADE, the "Jean-Christophe Fernandes" prize was created in memory of the young researcher and as a tribute to his humanism and commitment. This prize rewards young Haitian researchers for their work in the field of the environment.

It will be awarded on 13 July 2011 in Port-au-Prince.