GEO Haiti 2010

GEO HAITI • 2010
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are no longer applied. As such, people build
wherever they wish, on hillsides, in ravines, on
protected lands and areas, completely ignoring
current regulations.
• Health Problems
Health problems due to the transmission of
emerging and/or re-emerging diseases such as
yaws (in the South and Grand’Anse Provinces),
dengue, diphtheria, and in certain towns in the
West, Centre and Artibonite Provinces, diseases
such as tungiasis (chigoe flea) or other skin
infections, tuberculosis and meningitis, are
common. A shortage of clean water, inadequate
space and overcrowding exacerbate health
problems and foster the spread of disease.
• Contamination of Water Sources
According to the World Development Report
2007/2008, Haiti is one of countries most affected
by deficient housing and sanitation systems,
considered a determining factor in the high
mortality rate in Latin America and the Caribbean
(Domersant, 2008). Poor wastewater management
and the presence of human settlements close to
water sources further contaminate these.
• Blocked Waterways and Rivers
Garbage and construction materials obstruct the
drainage-systems, disrupting the normal flow
of watercourses and causing frequent flooding
throughout the country, particularly in urban
areas.
8.2.2 Types of Housing in Haiti
a) Urban Housing
Urban housing in Haiti comprises a diverse group
of infrastructures, from isolated family dwellings
situated downtown or in the suburbs, to those
joined together in apartments. These apartments
consist of three, four and even five story-building,
gathering several families together, often even
various families sharing the same apartment.
These are usually the types of residences of the
middle and upper-middle class.
Figure 73: Residential Neighbourhood in Port-au-
Prince
Source: Jean Vilmond Hilaire, 2007
b) Shantytown Dwellings
The shantytowns or slums are precariously built
without answering to any of the established urban
regulations. They usually lack basic infrastructure
such as proper sanitation conditions, road
networks, drainage systems, educational and
health services and potable water.
•
c) Rural Housing
Rural Settlements
Rural settlements are small agglomerations
called towns or market-towns with few financial
resources, those limited primarily to agricultural
activities. Life conditions, as a result of the
absence of basic infrastructure such as roads
and communication networks, educational and
sanitary systems, are precarious. They are often
isolated and hard to reach. Yet these towns have
undeniable potential for development.