GEO Haiti 2010

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GEO HAITI • 2010 128 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.
State of the Environment Report 2010 Figure 74: Shantytown in Port-au-Prince Figure 75: Rural Settlement at Cerca Carvajal Source: Jean Vilmond Hilaire, 2007 8.2.3 Topography and Construction There are decrees and laws governing land use in Haiti, whether for the development of residential complexes or individual dwellings. Specific laws regarding high-rise buildings exist and technical distribution standards are also in place. However, hardly anyone adheres to these codes and standards and this even applies to the authorities. As a result, people build everywhere: on the sides of watersheds, in riverbeds, on marshy lands and on coasts, and in protected catchment areas. 129 Source: Floraine Décembre, 2008 The picture below illustrates the construction situation in the city of Cap-Haïtien: slums on the seaside, at the foot of mountains and in marshy areas. In this picture, the main demarcation lines and the haphazard expansion of the city can be seen. According to EPPLS, “taking into account “substandard” housing and “homeless people”, in 1995, 1,060,425 housing units would have had to be built in order to properly house the population”. • Dispersed Rural Settlements Dispersed rural settlements are made of scattered dwellings. However, this type of settlement is disappearing as, due to demographic growth, housing developments are increasing rapidly, but without the minimal necessary conditions for the social, mental and even physical well-being of its residents. Figure 76: Example of Dispersed Households at Cerca Carvajal Source: Floraine Décembre, 2008 Figure 77: View from the City of Cap-Haïtien: Topograpy and Construction, 2007 Source: Unknown 8.3 Sanitation Sanitation is the process which enables people a life in a healthier environment. As such, physical, institutional and social measures are deployed in different areas, such as the disposal and
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GEO Haiti 2010

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