GEO Haiti 2010

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GEO HAITI • 2010 58 Figure 14: Map of the hydrographic network of Haiti Source: CNIGS, 2009 Most rivers are facing enormous problems of soil degradation, especially upstream, including the degradation of their river banks and excessive sedimentation. Communities living alongside their banks are much more vulnerable to the risk of floods. The situation is similar with respect to the watersheds from which the rivers flow. According Figure 15: Priority watersheds for the mitigation of vulnerability to a study carried out in 2006 by USAID, around 54 watersheds have been categorized as priority watersheds mainly because of their relative fragility. They are moreover considered a priority as they mitigate the risk of natural disasters and contribute to the promotion of economic growth. Source: (USAID, 2006)
State of the Environment Report 2010 The Port-au-Prince region with its large Grise River watershed has been given high priority, followed by the watersheds of the cities of Les Cayes, Gonaïves-La Quinte, Trou du Nord, Jassa and Cap- Haïtien. These would be followed by the regions of Grand’Anse and by the large rivers at Jacmel and Fonds Verrettes with their high-mountain watersheds and significant biological diversity. The figure above shows the watersheds given priority. 1.3.5 Vegetation The plant cover in Haiti is made of savannahs, open forests 17 and vestiges of closed forests 18 , these latter made of conifers and broad-leaved trees. The plant cover was formerly dense but has suffered over time from the indiscriminate use of its resources, starting as early as the beginning of the XIX century in order to allow Haiti to pay the fee imposed by France in recognition of its independence. The country had to sell huge quantities of wood, especially mahogany, to pay this debt. The cutting-down of trees has continued and today, nearly 80% of the population uses wood as a source of energy 19 . Forest vegetation includes mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), guaiac (Guaiacum sp), cedar (Cedrela odorata), yellow wood (Chlorophora tinctoria), logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum), tavernon (Lysiloma sabicu), oak (Catalpa longissima) and ash (Simaruba glauca) (FAO, 1980). The undergrowth contains mainly cacti and grass, which is the type of vegetation most widespread in Haiti (TIMYAN, 1996). Mangroves are important in coastal zones and mainly divided into four species (See Section 3, Chapter 2). Conifers, found mainly at high altitudes, are primarily made of pines, Pinus occidentalis, an endemic type to the island. These pine forests represent the country’s main open forests which are located at high altitude in the South, Central and Northeastern provinces (See Section 3; Chapter 2). 2. Demography: rapid growth Demographic explosion is the major phenomenon impacting the general economic and normative structure of the country. According to Louis-Naud Pierre (2008), “a demographic explosion, coupled with the Haitian open economy, produces the dismantling of a rural system previously centered around land and agricultural activities and enterprises, and leads eventually to poverty”. 2.1. Demographic growth A demographic explosion has occurred in Haiti over the past decades. In 1804, the year of its independence, its population was estimated at 5,000 inhabitants. One hundred and fifty years later, it had grown to 3,221,000. However, between 1950 and 2005, less than 50 years later, the population has almost tripled. The accelerated demographic growth over this period is mainly due to the improved living conditions in Haiti. The following table illustrates the situation (IHSI, 2008). Table 1: Demographic growth in Haiti between 1804 and 2005 Source: IHSI, 2008. Year Population 1804 5,000 1950 3,221,000 2005 9,293,000 Nevertheless, between 2000 and 2008 and according to a report published in the January 2008 issue of CIA World Factbook, the Haitian population was still growing at a considerable rate. See table below. 59 17 Open forest: formation in which trees are present in a discontinuous manner, with a minimum cover of 10% and 40% maximum [Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, 2002.] 18 Closed forest: formation in which trees of varying heights and undergrowth cover more than 40% of the terrain, with no continuous herbaceous stratum [Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, 2002.] 19 www.in-terre-actif.com
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GEO Haiti 2010

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