GEO Haiti 2010

State of the Environment Report 2010
2.3.3 Coastal Occupation
The urban fabric of Haiti has expanded at a
sustained pace over the last decades as a result
of the acceleration of demographic growth
and rural exodus. Nevertheless, this expansion
occurred without the adequate planning or the
implementation of essential urban services. The
figures below show the distribution of dwellings
(in grey), in particular the shantytowns which
constitute large agglomerations along the coastline
of Port-au-Prince. These areas are severely degraded
and bereft of vegetation, unlike others (in red),
which still are covered by vegetation. It should be
pointed out that, prior to the 1980’s, shantytowns
were almost nonexistent in coastal areas (As in the
case of Cité de l’Eternel in Annex 3).
Figure 44: Distribution of Dwellings on the Port-au-
Prince Coastal Strip in 2007
Cité de l’Eternel Shantytown
Source: CATHALAC (2008)
Waste management and illegal occupation
of the coastal-marine environment by human
settlements have rapidly created major problems
in the urban areas of Haiti. Most cities in Haiti
are located on the coast and this worsens the
anthropogenic pressures on it.
2.3.4 Sedimentation
Over the last decades, soil erosion caused by
deforestation has intensified. All kinds of sediments
carried down by rainfall end up on the coast. A
study carried out by UNDP in 1995 estimated that
since 1958, 7.9 million m 3 of sediment load has
ended up in the Port-au-Prince bay alone (Haiti
Eco-Net, 1995).
The presence of these sediments in the coastal
ecosystems contributes to the imbalance in the
marine biological diversity. Some researchers
attribute to this “coastal hyper-sedimentation,
the necrosis of the coral platura, the progressive
fossilization of the sea grass, and the scarcity of
filtering organisms which migrate to less turbid
areas (Saffache, 2006)”.
2.3.5 Emptying of Fuel Tanks
The problem of the emptying of fuel tanks into the
territorial waters of Haiti is little-known and not
well-documented. Some state that the situation
is serious however without providing concrete
evidence (Holly, op. cit.; Wargny 2004). In fact,
the territorial waters of Haiti have been poorly
monitored during the past decade, because the
relevant authorities, responsible of the issue, have
been dismantled.
2.4 Impact on Ecosystems
The coastal and marine areas of Haiti, which are
receptacles for all land-based waste and under all
kinds of pressures, particularly from fishermen and
other poachers, suffer greatly from human activities.
These areas, thus modified, become unsanitary.
The “sewer” management pattern and the collective
representation of the sea as a vast sewer, encourage
the increasing contamination of the coastal and
marine areas of Haiti. Information on the subject is
lacking, as mentioned, and little research has been
done
However, the few existing investigations on the
issue show a worrisome situation. Le Brun (2000)
emphasized that these studies showed the presence
of faecal bacteria such as coliforms in sea water and
that close to the coasts. Others have pointed to
the existence of all types of waste, mainly plastics
(UNESCO, 1998) and to the presence of used oil
residue (MOE-MPCE, 2004).
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