Haiti’s forests on their last legs
The chaos caused by rebel upri si ngs agai nst Hai t i’s Presi dent Jean- Ber t rand Ari st i de i n 2004 were t he l at est i nci dent s i n t he hi st or y of a nat i on ri dden wi t h i nt er neci ne vi ol ence. Wi t h t he government over t hrown and t he nat i on’s popul at i on cowed by rovi ng gangs of mi l i t ant s and racked by gri ndi ng pover t y, Hai t i i s at best an ai l i ng count r y, at worst on t he bri nk of ut t er col l apse. Lurki ng i n t he shadows of t he pol i t i cal and soci al st ri f e i s a mat t er of even great er concern – t he def orest at i on of Hai t i . Current l y, onl y 88 hect ares of Hai t i’s t erri t or y are covered by f orest s, or 3. 2 % of t he nat i on’s t ot al l and area. Def orest at i on, at t he rat e of - 5. 7% per an num ( 1999- 2000 rat e) , i s di rect l y l i nked t o soi l erosi on and decl i ni ng product i vi t y of arabl e l and. The cent ral government’s l ack of aut hori t y over i t s ci t i zenr y, di s mal l i vi ng condi t i ons, and unregul at ed consumpt i on of Hai t i’s nat ural resources pai nt a f orebodi ng por t rai t of ecol ogi cal di sast er.
Hai t i won i t s i ndependence f rom France i n 1804, f ol l owi ng a l ong and prot ract ed gueri l l a war waged by t he col ony’s sl ave popul at i on agai nst t hei r i mperi al r ul ers. The verdant f orest s of Hi spanol a’s east ern end provi ded ref uge and sust enance f or t he rebel l i ng sl aves, who mount ed t hei r i ni t i al assaul t on t he t own of Le Cap ( now Cap- Hai t i en) f rom t he overl ooki ng moun t ai n f orest s of t he Morne Rouge on August 22, 1791.
Though f ree f rom col oni al r ul e, i ndependent Hai t i cont i nued t o suf f er f rom i nst abi l i t y i n i t s r ul i ng cl ass. From 1843 t o 1915, t here were 22 changes of govern ment . In 1915, Presi dent Woodrow Wi l son ordered t he US Navy and Mari ne Corps t o occupy t he capi t al , Por t – Au- Pri nce, f ol l owi ng t he bl oody di ssol ut i on of t he st andi ng government i nt o f act i onal i nf i ght i ng. Mar t i al l aw was est abl i shed by t he t askf orce’s commander, Adm. Wi l l i am Caper t on, and wasn’t repeal ed f or over t en years.
1956 wi t nessed t he sei zure of power by Françoi s “Papa Doc” Duval i er, who decl ared hi msel f Presi dent f or- Li f e f ol l owi ng a coup. Hi s son Jean- Cl aude ( “Baby Doc”) assumed hi s f at her’s mant l e unt i l 1986 f l eei ng t he count r y due t o popul ar di scont ent . The ensui ng i nt roduct i on of democracy t o t he i sl and nat i on pro duced mi xed resul t s: Jean- Ber t rand Ari st i de was el ect ed Presi dent i n 1990, oust ed f rom power t he f ol l owi ng year, and regai ned cont rol i n 1994 wi t h t he mi l i t ar y suppor t of t he Uni t ed St at es and t he Uni t ed Nat i ons. Ari st i de was el ect ed t o a second t erm i n 2000, i n an el ect i on f raught wi t h charges of vot i ng i rregul ari t i es. Af t er a f ai l ed coup i n 2001, Januar y and Febr uar y 2004 brought a nat i on- wi de upri si ng agai nst Ari st i de’s r ul e, f orci ng hi m i nt o exi l e and prompt i ng t he arri val of UN peacekeepi ng f orces i n June 2004.
Concerns over def orest at i on i n Hai t i exi st ed wel l bef ore t he t umul t uous event s of earl y 2004. Kri st en Pi cari el l o’s 1997 st udy on Def orest at i on ut i l i zed Hai t i
as a case st udy of t he dynami cs of def orest at i on around t he worl d. Pi cari el l o est abl i shed f i rm l i nks bet ween t he i mpoveri shed st at e of Hai t i’s popul at i on ( 75% l i ve be l ow t he pover t y l i ne) and t he accel erat ed rat e of de f orest at i on. Agri cul t ure, par t i cul arl y smal l – scal e sub si st ence f armi ng, suppor t s about 70% of t he nat i on. Whi l e t hi s may appear harml ess, f armi ng necessi t at es t hat l and be cl eared i n order t o pl ant crops. Si nce such a l arge propor t i on of Hai t i’s ci t i zenr y works t he l and, def orest at i on’s i ncrease i nevi t abl y coi nci ded wi t h t he upshot i n l and cul t i vat i on. The i ncreased mechani za t i on of Hai t i’s agri cul t ural i ndust r y, promot ed by or gani zat i ons such as t he Worl d Bank and IMF as par t of programs i nt ended t o “moderni ze” Thi rd-Worl d i n dust r y, has al so mul t i pl i ed t he i mpact of f armi ng on Hai t i’s f ragi l e economy. The compl i ci t y of Fi rst -Worl d economi c i nst i t ut i ons i n t he ecol ogi cal rape of Hai t i i s eeri l y remi ni scent of t he massi ve l oggi ng ef f or t s under t aken by French col oni al i st s, who used t he l umber t o f uel t hei r sugar mi l l s and suppl y t hei r shi pyards. The di sappearance of Hai t i’s f orest s has al so coi n ci ded wi t h wi de- scal e soi l erosi on. When t ree cover i s removed f rom l and sl at ed f or crop usage, t he ear t h i s no l onger bound by t ree root s or prot ect ed f rom t he el ement s by t he pl ant’s shade. Consequent l y, t here i s a hi gher ri sk of deser t i f i cat i on, drought , and mudsl i des. Sure enough, f ol l owi ng heavy rai ns brought by t he l andf al l of Tropi cal St orm Jean, f l oods and mudsl i des ki l l ed over 5, 000 Hai t i ans on Sept ember 18- 19, 2004. Though agri cul t ure’s preval ence and negl ect f or f orest cover was ci t ed as one f act or, t he new i mpul se behi nd l oggi ng appears t o be t he ri se i n demand f or charcoal as an energy source i n Hai t i . The st ri f e of recent years has f orced growi ng numbers of peopl e i nt o t he expandi ng sl ums of Hai t i’s ci t i es, and t he ensui ng demand f or f uel by homeowners and muni ci pal resources has l ed t o an i ncrease i n t he amount of charcoal creat ed by cut t i ng down and carboni zi ng what’s l ef t of Hai t i’s f orest s. Fl oods and l andsl i des now t hreat en a f ul l quar t er of t he popul at i on – r ural and urban. The por t of Gona i ves was devast at ed i n t he Sept ember l andsl i des. Fol l owi ng rapi dl y i n t hei r wake were pol l ut ed wat er sup pl i es and sporadi c out breaks of di sease ( namel y chol era and t ubercul osi s) . However, t he government and UN peacekeepers are f i rst and f oremost commi t t ed t o reest abl i shi ng order and el i mi nat i ng out l aw f act i ons. In t hi s mi l i t ari zed at mosphere, t he reconst r uct i on of Hai t i’s economy and l ong- suf f eri ng envi ronment has been pushed t o t he f ri nges of government pol i cy. If t hi s concern i s not addressed i mmedi at el y, cat ast rophi c l andsl i des such as t hose of Sept ember 2004, and crop f ai l ure may f ast become t he norm f or Hai t i . The l ongt erm vi abi l i t y of Hai t i’s i nf rast r uct ure depends di rect l y on t he wel l – bei ng of i t s f orest s. Shoul d def orest at i on cont i nue apace, t hi s i sl and nat i on’s agri cul t ure, urban i ndust r y, and wat er suppl y woul d be pl aced i n j eopardy. The f ut ure l ooks bl eak.
The Center for American Progress has chosen to include Diskord in its Campus Progress network of student publications at universities and colleges across the nation. Campus Progress, an effort to strengthen
progressive voices and counter the growing in?uence of right-wing student groups, will provide Diskord with a grant of $3,000 for the 2005-2006 academic year, opportunities to bring speakers and ?lm screenings
to campus, ties to other publications at schools such as Harvard, the University of North Carolina, Dartmouth, and the University of Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.campusprogress.org
D
Haiti’s forests on their last legs
The chaos caused by rebel upri si ngs agai nst Hai t i’s Presi dent Jean- Ber t rand Ari st i de i n 2004 were t he l at est i nci dent s i n t he hi st or y of a nat i on ri dden wi t h i nt er neci ne vi ol ence. Wi t h t he government over t hrown and t he nat i on’s popul at i on cowed by rovi ng gangs of mi l i t ant s and racked by gri ndi ng pover t y, Hai t i i s at best an ai l i ng count r y, at worst on t he bri nk of ut t er col l apse. Lurki ng i n t he shadows of t he pol i t i cal and soci al st ri f e i s a mat t er of even great er concern – t he def orest at i on of Hai t i . Current l y, onl y 88 hect ares of Hai t i’s t erri t or y are covered by f orest s, or 3. 2 % of t he nat i on’s t ot al l and area. Def orest at i on, at t he rat e of - 5. 7% per an num ( 1999- 2000 rat e) , i s di rect l y l i nked t o soi l erosi on and decl i ni ng product i vi t y of arabl e l and. The cent ral government’s l ack of aut hori t y over i t s ci t i zenr y, di s mal l i vi ng condi t i ons, and unregul at ed consumpt i on of Hai t i’s nat ural resources pai nt a f orebodi ng por t rai t of ecol ogi cal di sast er.
Hai t i won i t s i ndependence f rom France i n 1804, f ol l owi ng a l ong and prot ract ed gueri l l a war waged by t he col ony’s sl ave popul at i on agai nst t hei r i mperi al r ul ers. The verdant f orest s of Hi spanol a’s east ern end provi ded ref uge and sust enance f or t he rebel l i ng sl aves, who mount ed t hei r i ni t i al assaul t on t he t own of Le Cap ( now Cap- Hai t i en) f rom t he overl ooki ng moun t ai n f orest s of t he Morne Rouge on August 22, 1791.
Though f ree f rom col oni al r ul e, i ndependent Hai t i cont i nued t o suf f er f rom i nst abi l i t y i n i t s r ul i ng cl ass. From 1843 t o 1915, t here were 22 changes of govern ment . In 1915, Presi dent Woodrow Wi l son ordered t he US Navy and Mari ne Corps t o occupy t he capi t al , Por t – Au- Pri nce, f ol l owi ng t he bl oody di ssol ut i on of t he st andi ng government i nt o f act i onal i nf i ght i ng. Mar t i al l aw was est abl i shed by t he t askf orce’s commander, Adm. Wi l l i am Caper t on, and wasn’t repeal ed f or over t en years.
1956 wi t nessed t he sei zure of power by Françoi s “Papa Doc” Duval i er, who decl ared hi msel f Presi dent f or- Li f e f ol l owi ng a coup. Hi s son Jean- Cl aude ( “Baby Doc”) assumed hi s f at her’s mant l e unt i l 1986 f l eei ng t he count r y due t o popul ar di scont ent . The ensui ng i nt roduct i on of democracy t o t he i sl and nat i on pro duced mi xed resul t s: Jean- Ber t rand Ari st i de was el ect ed Presi dent i n 1990, oust ed f rom power t he f ol l owi ng year, and regai ned cont rol i n 1994 wi t h t he mi l i t ar y suppor t of t he Uni t ed St at es and t he Uni t ed Nat i ons. Ari st i de was el ect ed t o a second t erm i n 2000, i n an el ect i on f raught wi t h charges of vot i ng i rregul ari t i es. Af t er a f ai l ed coup i n 2001, Januar y and Febr uar y 2004 brought a nat i on- wi de upri si ng agai nst Ari st i de’s r ul e, f orci ng hi m i nt o exi l e and prompt i ng t he arri val of UN peacekeepi ng f orces i n June 2004.
Concerns over def orest at i on i n Hai t i exi st ed wel l bef ore t he t umul t uous event s of earl y 2004. Kri st en Pi cari el l o’s 1997 st udy on Def orest at i on ut i l i zed Hai t i
as a case st udy of t he dynami cs of def orest at i on around t he worl d. Pi cari el l o est abl i shed f i rm l i nks bet ween t he i mpoveri shed st at e of Hai t i’s popul at i on ( 75% l i ve be l ow t he pover t y l i ne) and t he accel erat ed rat e of de f orest at i on. Agri cul t ure, par t i cul arl y smal l – scal e sub si st ence f armi ng, suppor t s about 70% of t he nat i on. Whi l e t hi s may appear harml ess, f armi ng necessi t at es t hat l and be cl eared i n order t o pl ant crops. Si nce such a l arge propor t i on of Hai t i’s ci t i zenr y works t he l and, def orest at i on’s i ncrease i nevi t abl y coi nci ded wi t h t he upshot i n l and cul t i vat i on. The i ncreased mechani za t i on of Hai t i’s agri cul t ural i ndust r y, promot ed by or gani zat i ons such as t he Worl d Bank and IMF as par t of programs i nt ended t o “moderni ze” Thi rd-Worl d i n dust r y, has al so mul t i pl i ed t he i mpact of f armi ng on Hai t i’s f ragi l e economy. The compl i ci t y of Fi rst -Worl d economi c i nst i t ut i ons i n t he ecol ogi cal rape of Hai t i i s eeri l y remi ni scent of t he massi ve l oggi ng ef f or t s under t aken by French col oni al i st s, who used t he l umber t o f uel t hei r sugar mi l l s and suppl y t hei r shi pyards. The di sappearance of Hai t i’s f orest s has al so coi n ci ded wi t h wi de- scal e soi l erosi on. When t ree cover i s removed f rom l and sl at ed f or crop usage, t he ear t h i s no l onger bound by t ree root s or prot ect ed f rom t he el ement s by t he pl ant’s shade. Consequent l y, t here i s a hi gher ri sk of deser t i f i cat i on, drought , and mudsl i des. Sure enough, f ol l owi ng heavy rai ns brought by t he l andf al l of Tropi cal St orm Jean, f l oods and mudsl i des ki l l ed over 5, 000 Hai t i ans on Sept ember 18- 19, 2004. Though agri cul t ure’s preval ence and negl ect f or f orest cover was ci t ed as one f act or, t he new i mpul se behi nd l oggi ng appears t o be t he ri se i n demand f or charcoal as an energy source i n Hai t i . The st ri f e of recent years has f orced growi ng numbers of peopl e i nt o t he expandi ng sl ums of Hai t i’s ci t i es, and t he ensui ng demand f or f uel by homeowners and muni ci pal resources has l ed t o an i ncrease i n t he amount of charcoal creat ed by cut t i ng down and carboni zi ng what’s l ef t of Hai t i’s f orest s. Fl oods and l andsl i des now t hreat en a f ul l quar t er of t he popul at i on – r ural and urban. The por t of Gona i ves was devast at ed i n t he Sept ember l andsl i des. Fol l owi ng rapi dl y i n t hei r wake were pol l ut ed wat er sup pl i es and sporadi c out breaks of di sease ( namel y chol era and t ubercul osi s) . However, t he government and UN peacekeepers are f i rst and f oremost commi t t ed t o reest abl i shi ng order and el i mi nat i ng out l aw f act i ons. In t hi s mi l i t ari zed at mosphere, t he reconst r uct i on of Hai t i’s economy and l ong- suf f eri ng envi ronment has been pushed t o t he f ri nges of government pol i cy. If t hi s concern i s not addressed i mmedi at el y, cat ast rophi c l andsl i des such as t hose of Sept ember 2004, and crop f ai l ure may f ast become t he norm f or Hai t i . The l ongt erm vi abi l i t y of Hai t i’s i nf rast r uct ure depends di rect l y on t he wel l – bei ng of i t s f orest s. Shoul d def orest at i on cont i nue apace, t hi s i sl and nat i on’s agri cul t ure, urban i ndust r y, and wat er suppl y woul d be pl aced i n j eopardy. The f ut ure l ooks bl eak.
The Center for American Progress has chosen to include Diskord in its Campus Progress network of student publications at universities and colleges across the nation. Campus Progress, an effort to strengthen
progressive voices and counter the growing in?uence of right-wing student groups, will provide Diskord with a grant of $3,000 for the 2005-2006 academic year, opportunities to bring speakers and ?lm screenings
to campus, ties to other publications at schools such as Harvard, the University of North Carolina, Dartmouth, and the University of Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.campusprogress.org
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