ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AFTER HAITI'S EARTHQUAKE |
SAN FRANCISCO, 24 JANUARY 2010 Dear EarthTalk: What are the primary environmental concerns in the aftermath of the big earthquake in Haiti? Frank Dover, Portland, Oregon As would be the case after any natural disaster, water-borne illness could run rampant and chemicals and oil could leak out of damaged storage facilities as a result of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that ripped apart Haiti on January 12. Surprisingly, no large industrial spills have been found during initial post-quake rescue efforts, but of course the focus has been on saving human lives and restoring civil order. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the biggest issue is the building waste; some 40 to 50 percent of the buildings fell in Port-au-Prince and nearby towns. "Thousands of buildings suddenly become debris and this overwhelms the capacity of waste management," says UNEPs Muralee Thummarukudy, who is directing efforts to collect the waste for use in reconstruction projects. Even before the quake Haiti had major environmental problems. Intensive logging beginning in the 1950s reduced Haitis forest cover from 60 percent to less than two percent today. This lack of trees causes huge soil erosion problems, threatening both food and clean water sources for throngs of hungry and thirsty people. "If you have forest cover, when heavy rain takes place it doesnt erode the land," UNEPs Asif Zaidi reports. "It doesnt result in flash floods." He adds that, due to its lack of forest cover, Haiti suffers much more during hurricanes than does the neighboring Dominican Republic. Compounding these ecological insults is Haitis fast growing population, now 9.7 million and growing by 2.5 percent per year. This has pushed millions of Haitians into marginal areas like floodplains and on land that could otherwise be used profitably. "Most fertile land areas are often used for slums, while hillsides and steep landscapes are used for agriculture," reports USAIDs Beth Cypser. The resulting sanitation problems have stepped up cases of dysentery, malaria and drug-resistant tuberculosis among Haitis poverty-stricken population. Trash-filled beaches, smelly waterways, swarms of dead fish and tons of floating debris stand testament to Haitis water pollution problems now exacerbated by the earthquake. "We need to create mechanisms that reinforce better use of natural resources," says UNEPs Zaidi. Prior to the quake, UNEP had committed to a two-year project to bolster to restore Haitis forests, coral reefs and other natural systems compromised by the islands economic problems. Providing access to propane to encourage a shift from charcoal-burning stoves is an immediate goal. Longer term, UNEP hopes the program will help kick-start reforestation efforts and investments in renewable energy infrastructure there. Perhaps the silver lining of the earthquake in Haiti is the fact that millions of people around the world now know about the plight of the countrys people and environment, and donations have started to pour in. Anyone interested in helping relief efforts in Haiti can send a text message triggering a small donation to the American Red Cross (text "HAITI" to 90999 and $10 will be donated and added to your next phone bill). Those concerned about clean water specifically should donate to World Water Relief, a non-profit focusing on the installation of water filtration systems in Haiti and other distressed areas of the world. CONTACTS: USAID, www.usaid.gov; UNEP, www.unep.org; American Red Cross, www.redcross.org; World Water Relief, www.worldwaterrelief.org. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php Related Culturekiosque Archives Égalité For All: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution Kréyol Factory: Rites and Passage Life Quality Quantified: The Brutality of Happenstance Global Water Challenge Partnership Declares 22 March 2008 World Water Day Days of Glory: Valor, Racism and the Ingratitude of the French Republic 2008: Year of the Rat, Leap Year...and Now, Year of the Frog? FreeRice.com: Hungry Minds Feed Hungry Mouths Chefs for Humanity Target UNICEF and Hurricane Katrina Relief Hyperion Nuclear Batteries: Clean Power from Underground Undoing George W. Bush's Environmental Legacy Frontline: The Old Man and the Storm: By June Cross The Environment: Green Burials Aftershock! Voices from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire | |
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