Deforestation

		The border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Haiti is to the left and the Dominican Republic is the greener area to the right.  (Image courtesy of NASA)

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, faces an environmental crisis as a result of relentless deforestation.  Less than 1.5 percent of the country’s natural forest remains and this loss of forests causes severe soil erosion at a rate of 35 million tons of soil each year.  This type of devastation sets in motion a cycle of subsequent natural resource depletion.  Experts estimate that an additional 5 percent of the cropland currently available will be lost each year until it is either completely gone or steps are taken to eradicate the problem.  This continued erosion places an agricultural stress on the land and also leads to many water deficits and droughts because the soil is not there to hold and retain moisture.  In addition to placing stresses on farming and agriculture, the extreme soil erosion leads to flooding rivers which carry with them heavy loads of sediment.  Eventually this sediment ends up out in the ocean where the pollution destroys the natural coral habitat and devastates the fish stock. 

Initially many of the trees were destroyed during times of political conflict and oppression; today poverty acts as the driving force behind the continued deforestation and decline in natural resources.  As many Haitians struggle to survive, this intense poverty drives them to exacerbate the crisis by depleting the trees for use in cooking and producing charcoal.  They need to be given a realistic alternative as they try to provide food for their families. 

In the face of Haiti’s massive deforestation, steps must be taken now to restore the land, providing renewed agricultural and economic opportunities.  Please read the next page (tree planting) to learn about what steps starfish is taking to meet this challenge.