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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI13010947/00001
Notes
- Summary:
- This publication highlights how the intersection of poverty and climate change has increased Haiti’s vulnerability to disasters, and offers a number of recommendations to move the country towards reduced disaster risks and increased resilience. In 2008, four tropical cyclones (Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike) devastated an already fragile Haiti, giving the country what was perhaps only a glimpse of the growing threat that climate change may pose for the island nation going forward. Like many developing countries, Haiti is likely to suffer tremendously from the ravages of climate change in the future due to its geographic location, chronic government incapacity, and the extreme vulnerability of its population. According to the publication, the 2008 hurricanes and tropical storms that hit Haiti seriously impacted the lives of millions of Haitians, particularly the poorest. As a result of these storms, crops and houses were devastated, along with physical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and school buildings. Gonaives, the third most populous city in the country, was the most affected area in terms of both lives lost and damage to infrastructure. These extreme weather events caused income and agricultural losses estimated at nearly $229 million. Additionally, the destruction of agricultural lands led to serious food insecurity, forcing the country to import approximately 40 percent of its food. The publication makes some recommendations for addressing Haiti’s vulnerability to climate change. First, local livelihoods should be secured through the incorporation of disaster risk management principles into agricultural production. Reforestation projects should be implemented as part of the process of climate change adaptation in Haiti. More research should be conducted on the development of alternative fuels to charcoal, while taking into account the needs of the poor. Lastly, the publication recommends that disaster risk reduction be promoted at the local level, and that stakeholders lobby the international community for the required financial assistance to increase local capacity for implementation. ( English,English,English,English,,,,,,,,,,,, )
- Subject:
- Climate Change
- Subject:
- Poverty
- Scope and Content:
- Executive Summary p. 7; Recommendations p. 11; Climate Change: Past, Present and Future p. 14; Climate Change, Environment and Poverty in Haiti p. 18; Climate change, floods and hurricanes p. 22; Climate Change and Food Security p. 24; Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction p. 30; Haiti’s NAPA – National Adaptation Programmes of Action p. 34; Conclusion p. 38; Appendix p. 41; References Included p. 42
- Citation/Reference:
- Swarup, A. (2009). Haiti: ‘a gathering storm,’ climate change and poverty. Oxfam International.
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Florida International University
- Rights Management:
- All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but the text may be used free of charge for the purposes of advocacy, campaigning, education, and research, provided that the source is acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, permission must be secured and a fee may be charged. E-mail publish@oxfam.org.uk.
- Resource Identifier:
- FI13010947
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