Essay
Description of the main
environment threats to biome in Haiti caused by human disturbance. What are
they? What causes them? Where are they worst? How do they impact the
environment (biotic and abiotic)?
Detail two ways your country or local government could address and
stop those environmental threats (two pages written essays).
Abstract
This paper presents the different challenges the Haitian government
has to overcome and strategies that could be used to sustain the environment. On the other hand, it shows the skates
socio-economic and politic that might be presented for creation of the
reforestation national project. Flooding and soil erosion are massive problems
in Haiti, where only 3% of the once lushly forested country still has tree
cover and up to one-third of the land has lost so much topsoil that it is no
longer arable, or barely so (Haiti Erosion) [1]. This problem has caused by
human activities; however, it can be fixed by the human force. To reforest
Haiti, three significant issues have to be resolved together: decreasing
unemployment rate, providing others sustainable source of energy, creating laws against cutting trees without legal authority.
[1]- Haiti Erosion; Accessed: December 5, 2013; http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/misc/webfeat/soilmap/soil_haiti.html
Introduction
The
purpose of this document is to identify the different strategy that the Haitian
government has to be lead in order to increase the reforestation rate. The
topsoil, which is the soil layer where most of the crops roots find nutrient to
grow. The loss of this layer has had several socio- economic negative impacts
people’s live. Even though, it is really challenging to reforest a whole
country. Especially, in a country where the population is facing different
socio- economic problem such as: poor
access to education, trade deficit and scarcity of energy which are in priority
for the government to resolve. The paragraphs below presented several efficient
and effective strategies that the Haitian government could be used to start a
national reforestation project.
Methods
I.
Challenge
a- Haiti
has the lowest level of electrification in the Americas. In the countryside,
over 70 percent of the population lacks access to electricity [2]. On the other
hand, Unemployment is now 90% in Haiti and 80% of Haiti’s people live in abject
poverty [3]. Those are the significant economic problems that force people to
cut down trees for their survival which cause many hectares of land go to the
sea every year.
b- Reforestation
and soil conservation programs costing many hundreds of thousands of dollar.
The Haitian government has been facing financial problem; the country's gross
domestic product (GDP) in 1987 was approximately US$1.95 billion or about
US$330 per capita [5]. The government has to attract big investment and
decrease the exportation rate in order to face this financial crisis.
c-
Less than 5 percent of Haiti's land is officially
accounted for in public land records, according to the United Nations [6]. A
few percent of land is protected by the government. As the result, the land’s
owners cut down trees without any control. The challenge of this problem is how
the government is going to have a control or take back those lands.
II.
Strategies
The
deforestation and the economic problem are connected; we cannot resolve only
one. For this reason, to overcome the erosion; the farmers should have others
sustainable source of energy and income in order to stop cutting trees in their
land.
Sustainable
source of energy:
Animal
Waste as a Renewable Energy
There are a wide range of
animal wastes that can be used as sources of biomass energy. The most common
sources are animal and poultry manures. The most attractive method of
converting these waste materials to useful form is anaerobic digestion which
gives biogas that can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines, to
generate electricity from small gas turbines, burnt directly for cooking, or
for space and water heating. Food processing and abattoir wastes are also a
potential anaerobic digestion feedstock [7].
Municipal
Solid Waste
Municipal solid waste
can be converted into energy by direct combustion, or by natural anaerobic
digestion in the landfill. At the landfill sites the gas
produced by the natural decomposition of MSW (approximately 50% methane and 50%
carbon dioxide) is collected from the stored material and scrubbed and cleaned
before feeding into internal combustion engines or gas turbines to generate
heat and power [7].
Improving Agricultural Sector
Reduction
of loss of farmland’s productivity
Many non-technological
methods have been used for years by farmers (contour plowing, abandonment of
marginal agricultural lands, planting of wind barriers, fallowing). More
efficient methods must be utilized to prevent water shortages, as only 45% of
irrigation water is actually absorbed by plants. Drip irrigation and other
efficient delivery systems, better water distribution systems, improved control
systems, and raising crops suited to the climate and soil will aid in this endeavor
[6].
Reforming agricultural practices to
be less harmful to forests
Among these reforms
could be reductions in the use of burning. When the soil is left
untilled, organic matter is retained, preserving soil fertility and preventing
erosion and runoff.
Development
of agro-forestry projects
Cash crops might be
raised in small-scale agro forestry plots. The integration of
trees and shrubs with crops and livestock systems – has strong potential in
addressing problems of food insecurity in developing countries. Done well, it
allows producers to make the best use of their land, can boost field crop
yields, diversify income, and increase resilience to climate change. One
of the major potential benefits of on-farm trees is their ability to replenish
nutrient-depleted soil,
Establish
a law against cutting of trees without the permission of a legal authority
The government can
publish a law that prohibits cutting down trees in the Haitian territory
without the permission of a mandated. The Administrations Tips Local Authorities (CASEC) could be mandated to do this
job.
Conclusion
Energy sustainability
is about finding the balance between a growing economy, the need for
environmental protection and social responsibilities in order to provide an
improved quality of life for current and future generations [4]. Finding other
inexpensive source of energy, strengthen the environmental law and enhancing
the agriculture sector might be one the accurate strategy to protect the
remaining trees and reforest Haiti.
References
[1]
-Haiti Erosion; [Accessed: December 5, 2013]; available online: http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/misc/webfeat/soilmap/soil_haiti.html
[2]- Inter American
Development Bank; IDB supports sustainable energy for
rural electrification in Haiti; published May 23, 2013; [Accessed: 2013-12-02]:
http://www.iadb.org/en/news/news-releases/2013-05-23/energy-for-rural-electrification-in-haiti,10457.html
[3]- Mission of Hope
Haiti; Haiti Now; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.mohhaiti.org/about_haiti#.UqDcL2fNkYJ
[4]- Energy4Me; Energy
Sustainable; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.energy4me.org/energy-facts/energy-sustainability/
[5]- Mongabay.com;
Haiti- The Economy; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/haiti/ECONOMY.html
[6]- Anastasia Moloney ; reliefWeb;
Unclear
land rights hinder Haiti's reconstruction; Published on 05 Jul 2010 ; [[Accessed:
2013-12-04]: http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/unclear-land-rights-hinder-haitis-reconstruction
[
7]- Alternative Energy; Waste as a Renewable Energy Source; September 22nd, 2008; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/waste-renewable-energy-source/
7]- Alternative Energy; Waste as a Renewable Energy Source; September 22nd, 2008; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/waste-renewable-energy-source/
[8]- Rainforest Conservation Fund; Improvement of agricultural methods and productivity; [Accessed: 2013-12-04]: http://www.rainforestconservation.org/rainforest-primer/6-conservation-of-tropical-rainforests/a-means-of-conserving-tropical-rainforests/6-improvement-of-agricultural-methods-and-productivity/
Extra
credit
§ 1- A soils map of your country with soils names and descriptions with source cited.
Source : ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NHQ/pub/outgoing/soils/haiti_soil_suborders_map.pdf2-A precipitation map of your country with average precipitation amounts with source cited
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