deforestation, natural disasters and humans haiti: where have all the trees gone?
TRANSCRIPT
Deforestation, Natural Disasters and Humans
Haiti:
Where have all the trees gone?
What is deforestation?
Photo: Nick Hobgood via Flickr Photo: Trees for the Future via Flickr
The act or process of clearing forests.
Haiti•Mountainous – prone to landslides
•22% decline in forest cover since 1990; had already cleared 99.2% of original forest
•One of the most deforested countries in the world
•Poorest country in Western Hemisphere - 50% live on $1 a day
Photograph courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Left side = Haiti Right side = Dominican Republic
Group exploration of articles
“Hurricanes deepen misery in poorest corners of Latin America”
– The Canadian PressCAUSE
Poor drainage systems and homes that can’t
withstand the force of a storm.
Hurricanes, mudslides and flooding.
Poor communication and planning
EFFECT
People die; lose their homes and livelihoods.
Residents didn’t know the storms are coming or
their severity.
Homes destroyed.
SOLUTIONS
Send aid in the form of money and workers to
help them build adequate homes and systems.
Water infrastructure strong enough to
withstand a storm,
Other comments/key points:
“Haiti: In Need of Trees”
– American Forests
CAUSE
90% of Haiti is deforested. Haitians
need tree’s to fuel their homes and protect them
from floods and mud slides.
EFFECT
The tree roots absorb the heavy rain water in Haiti. With all the trees being but down all this extra water is causing mud
slides and floods.
SOLUTIONS
Give USAID more founding to care for the
environment.( USAID planted more than 60
million trees in 20 years.)
A UN peacekeeping forces are coming to
Haiti to patrol the forests.
Haitian government is considering the importation of either propane or wood in a move to hold off further environmental destruction
Other comments/key points: Even Religious trees are being cut down.
“Red Cross assists aid distribution in Haiti”
– Marko Kokic
CAUSE
-Floodwaters
-Land slides
-Waters contaminated by floods
-Roads washed out
EFFECT
-Homes destroyed
-No trees to hold in the earth
-non safe drinking water
-No access to Mapou by road
SOLUTIONS
Made temporary homes in safe places
-Reduce deforestation
-Red cross gives out purifying tablets
-Red cross has cleared debris
Other comments/key points: Distributed 3 weeks of food for 3, 000 families (15, 000 people). Many rocks/loose mud still threaten villages. Some trees held back landslide and spared houses. 400 temporary shelters constructed. Many unnecessary deaths due to people not being able to see in the dark.
“UN troops struggle in Haitian Aid Effort”
– Winnipeg Free Press
CAUSE
Tropical storm Jeanne had torrential rain that
turned roads into rivers and mudslides.
EFFECT
1500 died, 300,000 homeless.
Many injured and awaiting medical
services.
Need food from aid distribution.
People fighting over food to the point of using
guns.
People dying from lack of water and electricity in
medical centres.
Roads into rivers and mudslides.
Infected wounds.
Performing operations in primitive conditions.
SOLUTIONS
Need more than twice the 3,000 peace keepers in
place in Haiti.
If they had help from the National Police of Haiti,
they could possibly increase the aid
distribution points.
Other comments/key points:
“After the earthquake: Haiti's deforestation needs attention”
– Moises Velasquez-Manoff CAUSE
The use the wood to burn or use as coal in
their houses. (30 million trees are used, that’s 20 million more than what
grows per year)
EFFECT
-desert landscape
- With no tress to hold to hold the soil in place
when an event happens. Such as an earthquake. The effect is magnified
as the ground is unstable.
SOLUTIONS
-Use an alternative source to wood.
-Give them funding so they don’t have to do as
much clear cutting.-Give them a better
education so they are more aware of the
devastation they are causing.
Other comments/key points:
“A Tree Grows in Haiti” -Jeneen Interlandi
CAUSE
•Charcoal•Room for crops•Wood to cook or heat their homes•Storms/ bad weather
EFFECT
•Deforestation•Soil being easily moved especially into the water polluting it•Makes land/ Haiti much more vulnerable •More floods because there are very little trees/ vegetation to soak up the water
SOLUTIONS
•Plant trees •Fertilise soil so trees can grow•Take care of the trees so they can grow and so they don’t get cut down
Other comments/key points:
Causes of Deforestation in Haiti
• Population growth
Photo: melindayiti via Flickr
• Topography
• Weather
• Poverty
Possible Causes
• Population increase
• Slash and Burn
• Commercial Logging
• Cash Crops
• Subsistence living
• Political upheaval
• Cheap fuel source
• US Oil Embargo
Possible Effects
• Species Problems• Soil erosion• Flooding and Landslides• Climate Change• Air pollution• Loss of tourism dollars• Destruction of fishing
industry• Poor soil• Economic instability• Hunger
Possible Solutions• Tree planting
Photo: Trees for the Future photostream via Flickr
• Alternative energy
• Foreign investment
• Political stability
• Foreign government aid
• Grafting fruit trees