Haiti – Dominican Republic - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

highest peaks in Haiti and the Dominican Republicare at 2680 and 3098 metres above sea levelrespectively.One critical difference between the two countriesis that the Dominican Republic has much moreflat and gently sloping land than Haiti. In Haiti theplains at the base of the mountains are generallyrelatively small. In comparison, the easternand northern half of the Dominican Republic isdominated by relatively flat land that is suitablefor agriculture. All major cities in both countriesare found either on the coast or on the flat alluvialplains.The original land cover in both countries was subtropicalforest with some wetlands. However, morethan four centuries of agricultural land clearinghave seen this forest cover reduced dramatically.The deforestation rate has been much more severeon the Haitian side, where a mere 3.7 per cent offorest cover remains (FAO classification system).The same metric for the Dominican Republic isapproximately 40 per cent. 81 Mangrove forestsalso remain along the shores but are generallyreducing in extent.Geology and soilsThe surface of Hispaniola is composed mainly ofmarine sediments, with sparse outcrops of oldermetamorphic rocks. The marine sediments aregenerally very rich in limestone, and light in appearance,hence the pale hue of much exposedground in both countries.The soils of Hispaniola reflect the geology andtopography: soils were originally generally thin andlimestone rich in the steeper hills and deeper andbetter quality in the alluvial plains. Only a minority ofthe mountainous regions with metamorphic geologyhave originally deep and/or good quality soils,although all regions in Haiti are now badly affectedby soil erosion and thin soil cover is the norm. 82 Soildepletion and erosion is also a significant issue inthe Dominican Republic, although not to the sameextent as in Haiti.The climate on Hispaniola is as diverse as its topography: there are great variations in both temperature andrainfall because the island consists of low-lying areas separated by mountain ranges that rise as high as3000 meters.© UNEPHaiti – Dominican Republic: Environmental challenges in the border zone23