GEO Haiti 2010

State of the Environment Report 2010
Before the earthquake on January 12, 2010, there
had been little seismic activity in the previous
decades, although this had been frequent in the
past. In the 18 th century, for example, the city of
Port-au-Prince was completely destroyed twice
by earthquakes (Corvington, 1975), and Cap-
Haïtien was devastated once in the 19 th century,
according to Pierre-Louis (1980).
All Haitian regions are not affected by the same
types of natural disasters or to the same extent.
Accordingly, risks are low in some regions and
much higher in others (Figure 82).
According to Mathieu et al (op. cit.), the western
and southern parts of Haiti are prone to hurricanes,
floods and earthquakes. The North and Artibonite
Provinces are also highly vulnerable to floods
and earthquakes. The Northwest Province has
an average risk of endemic drought, while the
Southeast and Grand’Anse Provinces are at risk of
hurricanes and floods. Thanks to a low gradient,
the Northeast and Center Provinces seem to
be the least susceptible to natural hazard risks
(Annex 2).
9.2 Vulnerability to Natural Threats
The occurrence of natural hazards in Haiti
has become almost unavoidable due to the
geographic location and configuration of the
country. However, Haitians have had to pay
dearly the impacts of such hazards, not so
much because of their violence but because of
a poor environmental management leading to
environmental degradation, and of inadequate
practices of land occupation. Intensified by
poverty, the country remains fragile in the face of
natural disasters.
9.2.1 Environmental Degradation
It is a known fact that Haiti’s environment is
undergoing a crisis as evidenced by its uncommon
deterioration. Aside from the inherent problems
that this deterioration brings, it also amplifies the
country’s exposure to the threat and severity of
natural hazards.
Natural hazards, in the form of aggressive and
extreme rainfall during the rainy and hurricane
seasons, contribute greatly to soil degradation.
According to INESA (2008), factors such as the
intensity and duration of rainfall, the nature
and cationic content of clay minerals in the
soil, the topographical conditions (Haiti is
80% mountainous) and land use practices can
aggravate soil degradation. These are considered
to be some of the human-induced causes of soil
degradation.
Figure 83: Watershed in Gonaives
Source: Hilaire 2005
Actually, even mild disturbances have disastrous
consequences in Haiti. Thus, despite their welldeserved
reputation of “hurricane breakers”
because of their ability to reduce wind speeds,
Haiti’s numerous mountain ranges have not
been able to protect the country, these last years,
from the destruction of low-intensity hurricanes.
Hurricane Gordon (1994) for example, which the
Haitian people remember all too well, did not
strike the country with full force. It is reasonable
to assert that these are far from natural disasters,
but are largely human-caused.
9.2.2 Land Use
The haphazard use of land space in Haiti, much
like environmental degradation, can increase the
impact of natural disasters on the country. The
slightest landslide or rainfalls, even outside the
rainy or hurricane seasons, bring the country on
the verge of catastrophe.
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