Deforestation in Haiti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deforestation in Haiti is a severe environmental problem. In 1923, over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; in 2006, less than 2% was.[1]
Deforestation accelerated after Hurricane Hazel downed trees throughout the island in 1954.[2] Beginning in about 1954, concessionaires stepped up their logging operations, in response to Port-au-Prince's intensified demand for charcoal, thus accelerating deforestation, which had already become a problem because of environmentally unsound agricultural practices, rapid population growth, and increased competition over scarce land.[2]
The most direct effect of deforestation is soil erosion.[2] An estimated 15,000 acres (61 km²) of top soil are washed away each year, with erosion also damaging other productive infrastructure such as dams, irrigation systems, roads, and coastal marine ecosystems.[3] Soil erosion also lowers the productivity of the land, worsens droughts, and eventually leads to desertification, all of which increase the pressure on the remaining land and trees.[2]
Most of Haiti's governments paid only lip service to the imperative of reforestation.[2] As was the case in other areas of Haitian life, the main impetus to act came from abroad.[2] USAID's Agroforestry Outreach Program, Projè Pyebwa, was the country's major reforestation program in the 1980s.[2] Peasants planted more than 25 million trees under Projè Pyebwa, but as many as seven trees were cut for each new tree planted.[2] Later efforts to save Haiti's trees focused on intensifying reforestation programs, reducing waste in charcoal production, introducing more wood-efficient stoves, and importing wood under USAID's Food for Peace program.[2] Because most Haitians still depend on wood and charcoal as their primary fuel source, energy alternatives are needed to save the forests.[1] The 15-year Environment Action Plan, authorized in 1999, proposed to stop deforestation by developing alternative fuel sources.[1] So far, however, political instability and lack of funding have limited the impact of this reform effort.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Country Profile: Haiti. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (May 2006). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Malik, Boulos A. "Forestry". A Country Study: Haiti (Richard A. Haggerty, editor). Library of Congress Federal Research Division (December 1989). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.[1]
- ^ Activity Data Sheet: Haiti – Environmental Degradation Slowed, 521-S002. USAID FY 2000 Congressional Presentation. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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