 and migratory patterns, while the soil that flows into deltas and rivers as a result of erosion tend to push fish farther out to sea.
Haiti’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
Haiti’s vulnerability to climate change is in large part defined by socioeconomic factors that interact with, and exacerbate, the physical impacts of climate change. General environmental degradation, including water pollution and, most visibly, deforestation, weaken the natural systems that need to be strong and resilient in order to survive and flourish in a changing climate: deforested land, for example, loses the protection of trees that naturally serve to keep top soil in place and healthy. Without those trees, soils are less fertile, crops do not thrive, and erosion becomes rampant. The Haitian landscape is plagued by deforestation, with only 3% of forest cover remaining nationally. Charcoal production is a primary contributor to this ongoing problem, with rural populations depending on the income from cutting trees to produce charcoal and sell in urban areas.
Population density and unplanned urban growth exacerbate the stress on the systems most sensitive to the effects of climate change, including food and water resources, as well as waste management services and health care infrastructure. Unplanned growth of urban areas ensures that more of the population is at risk from the impacts of climate change, as migrants settle in some of the areas most exposed to flooding and landslides, including on hillsides and river beds. Haiti is again at particular risk from this, as more than 60% of the country has hillside slopes greater than 20%.
Finally, weak institutional capacity and financial resources limit Haiti’s ability to coordinate effective responses to natural disasters and to take sufficient adaptation measures. Given the political turmoil over the past few decades, from the destructive dictatorship of the Duvaliers to the great social unrest during Jean Bertrand Aristide’s two interrupted terms as President, the ability of the Government of Haiti to mitigate and address climate change within the country has been severely compromised. Compounded by the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, where a majority of government infrastructure was destroyed and many of the public sector employees killed, these social and political issues have limited the government’s ability to respond, and exposed the people of Haiti to the persistent and destructive effects of climate change.
Climate change is one of the clearest manifestations of the complex links between the human and natural environment. While the impacts of climate change are undoubtedly negative for much of the world, a society’s capacity to adapt will play a critical role in determining what kind of impact those changes will ultimately have. For Haiti, a perfect storm of physical and socioeconomic factors has converged to heighten the country’s vulnerability to climate change: as the physical impacts of climate change continue to impact this already stressed country, a wide range of initiatives and partnerships will be required to strengthen the country’s resilience in a changing climate.
This blog is the first in a three part series analyzing the effects and future of climate change in Haiti. The second will focus on the differences between Haiti and its neighbor the Dominican Republic, and the third will focus on the critical partnerships to address climate change and vulnerability in Haiti.