Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP
Table 1. Key facts and statistics for Haiti and the Dominican Republic (Continued)iiiivviiiEconomy and Human DevelopmentGross Domestic Product (2010 estimate) US$ 26, 27 7.4 Billion 51.7 Billion 700% differenceGDP per capita US$ 28, 29 755 5,214Agriculture as a percentage of GDP 30, 31 25% 7.3%Human Development Index 2011 32 159th /187 98th /187 1st/187 is bestPercentage living in poverty & extreme poverty(2010) ii 33, 34, 35 76 & 56(2003)34.4 & 2.2 (2010)Inequality – Gini Coefficient 2001 36, 37 0.59 = 8th /190 0.48 = 26th /190 1st/190 is worstLife expectancy at birth (years) 38, 39 62.5 77.4 14.9 yearsdifferenceAccess to improved drinking water sources 63% 86%(2008) 40, 41Literacy (15-24 year olds) 42, 43 74 % 95 %Primary & secondary school attendance 44, 45 50 & 19 86.1 & 32.5Installed MW power generation – design capacity 270 MW 3394 MWAccess to electricity 46, 47 12.5% 88%48, 49LPG Usage 2%Charcoal and Firewood Usage 50of national household energyconsumption72% of energy demands satisfied byfirewood or charcoal.Maternal mortality rate (per 100,000 live births) 51, 52 300 100Infant mortality rate (per 100,000 live births) 53, 54 70 21.3HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate 55, 56 1.9% 0.9%Contraceptive prevalence (ages 15-49, %) 57, 58 32.0 72.9Used in 79% ofhouseholds.3.1 % of householdsuse charcoal.Environment and Natural DisastersPercentage Forest cover (FAO standards) 59 4% 41%Number of Protected Areas 60, 61 35 86Percentage Land Cover as Protected Areas 62, 63 6% (Effectively 0.3%) 25.4%Yale University Environmental Performance Index2010 64 118/132 72/132 1st/132 is bestGermanwatch Climate Risk index 1991-2010 65 5/190 7/190 1st/190 is worstDisaster Risk Index (Average number of peoplekilled per million inhabitants)(2000)13.2 3.11Major earthquakes 663, 4, 51751, 1771, 1842, 1887, 1904, 2010 1946, 2003 Haiti 20107.0 Ri.Si iii, ii iv, iii v ivivvii Poverty is defined by each country’s poverty line. Extreme poverty, before 2005 was defined as living on less than $1 a day.In 2005, the World Bank defined extreme poverty as living on less than $1.25 a day.iii The vast majority of the data contained in this table comes from the website of the World Bank’s Open Data Initiative (http://data.worldbank.org/) and of the CIA Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/). Information onforests and protected areas come from the Global Forest Assessment 2010 published by the FAO.iv Data on natural disaster vulnerability come either from the country notes elaborated for both countries by the Global Facilityfor Disaster Reduction and Recovery or from the website of EM-DAT, an international disaster database (www.emdat.be).v Indicators such as the Failed States Index, the Freedom in the World Survey and the Corruption Perception Index can befound at the following URL: www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/17/2011 _ failed _ states _ index _ interactive _ map _ and _rankings / http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2012 / http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/20 Haiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone
The environmental, economic and social divide between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is clearly visiblethroughout the border zone, as here close to the Artibonite River and the Dominican town of Pedro Santana.© UNEP2.2 Environmental statusThe state of the environment in Haiti and theDominican Republic is a sobering study incontrasts. These countries, which had very similarenvironmental baselines in 1800, have evolvedinto very different societies and the current stateof the environment in each country reflects thatdifference.HaitiThe environment in Haiti in 2012 is in a chroniccrisis that has developed over the past 50 years.Environmental degradation is so severe andwidespread that it is now a key driving factor in foodinsecurity, rural poverty, the spread of disease, andflood vulnerability. 67Over the last six centuries, the forest cover inHaiti has shrunk considerably. Studies estimatethat in the 15 th century, 85% of Haiti’s territory wasforested, 68 the remaining cover is today estimatedto be 2-4% of the territory, with rapid deforestationhaving taken place in the past few decades. 69,70There are many reasons for this environmentaldeterioration. The exploitation techniques usedby farmers have often been detrimental. Therehas been a demographic explosion, and muchof the population uses firewood or charcoal asits main source of energy. There is a complexland tenure system, which is disadvantageous tosoil conservation and tree planting. Lastly thereis a pervasive absence of awareness about theenvironment among the general population anda chronic lack of efficiency within the relevantgoverning institutions. 71Subsistence agriculture serves as a good exampleof the process of environmental deterioration.Right across the country, land has been clearedfor subsistence farming, even the very steepmountainsides and areas with thin and low-fertilitysoils. Haitian subsistence agricultural practicesdo not traditionally include a strong focus on soilconservation or augmentation, so steep slopesare tilled without terracing or drainage controland small plots of land are replanted year afteryear. Livestock rearing is usually open, with animalsHaiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone21
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The environmental, economic <strong>and</strong> social divide between <strong>Haiti</strong> <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Dominican</strong> <strong>Republic</strong> is clearly visiblethroughout the border zone, as here close to the Artibonite River <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Dominican</strong> town of Pedro Santana.© <strong>UNEP</strong>2.2 Environmental statusThe state of the environment in <strong>Haiti</strong> <strong>and</strong> the<strong>Dominican</strong> <strong>Republic</strong> is a sobering study incontrasts. These countries, which had very similarenvironmental baselines in 1800, have evolvedinto very different societies <strong>and</strong> the current stateof the environment in each country reflects thatdifference.<strong>Haiti</strong>The environment in <strong>Haiti</strong> in 2012 is in a chroniccrisis that has developed over the past 50 years.Environmental degradation is so severe <strong>and</strong>widespread that it is now a key driving factor in foodinsecurity, rural poverty, the spread of disease, <strong>and</strong>flood vulnerability. 67Over the last six centuries, the forest cover in<strong>Haiti</strong> has shrunk considerably. Studies estimatethat in the 15 th century, 85% of <strong>Haiti</strong>’s territory wasforested, 68 the remaining cover is today estimatedto be 2-4% of the territory, with rapid deforestationhaving taken place in the past few decades. 69,70There are many reasons for this environmentaldeterioration. The exploitation techniques usedby farmers have often been detrimental. Therehas been a demographic explosion, <strong>and</strong> muchof the population uses firewood or charcoal asits main source of energy. There is a complexl<strong>and</strong> tenure system, which is disadvantageous tosoil conservation <strong>and</strong> tree planting. Lastly thereis a pervasive absence of awareness about theenvironment among the general population <strong>and</strong>a chronic lack of efficiency within the relevantgoverning institutions. 71Subsistence agriculture serves as a good exampleof the process of environmental deterioration.Right across the country, l<strong>and</strong> has been clearedfor subsistence farming, even the very steepmountainsides <strong>and</strong> areas with thin <strong>and</strong> low-fertilitysoils. <strong>Haiti</strong>an subsistence agricultural practicesdo not traditionally include a strong focus on soilconservation or augmentation, so steep slopesare tilled without terracing or drainage control<strong>and</strong> small plots of l<strong>and</strong> are replanted year afteryear. Livestock rearing is usually open, with animals<strong>Haiti</strong> <strong>–</strong> <strong>Dominican</strong> <strong>Republic</strong>: Environmental challenges in the border zone21
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