Haiti Case study

Where is Haiti?Haiti. A Caribbean developing nation

What is Haiti like?• Poorest country in

Western hemisphere• 80% population live in

absolute poverty• 2/3 depend on

agricultural economy largely subsistence

• GDP per capita = $1,300

• Suffers from Hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes

Haiti and its population• Population = 9.8

million• Growth rate = 2.2%

so double in less than 50 years

• TFR rate = 5.2 children per women

• Fits early stage 3 of the DTM

• Shows real evidence of population pressure / overpopulation

• The population density is 295 people-per-square-kilometre

Wide base = youthful population

Narrow top indicating low life expectancy. 63 years ave.

Wide base indicates high birth rate

Sharp drop in population numbers partly due to AIDS (6% adults)

Analysing Haiti’s population pyramid

Why do you think people have large families in Haiti?

Can you make the link??

Now click on the hyperlink to find out more http://www.osei.noaa.gov/Events/Tropical/Atlantic/1998/Mitch_10/TRCmitch299G_G8.jpg

   1982

 1987

Year1992

 1997

 2002

  -------------------------Production (metric tons)----------------------

Cereals 390,900 461,806 451,796 490,000 363,000

Roots and Tubers 740,000 755,000 794,043 727,000 755,000

Pulses 85,900 100,711 106,523 88,000 70,500

Vegetables&Melons 292,060 309,350 235,760 213,825 198,870

Fruits 1,027,040 1,077,782 889,305 908,360 968,800

Sugar Cane 3,000,000 1,800,000 1,429,280 1,100,000 1,008,100

Coffee, Green 32,250 30,088 27,355 27,000 28,000

What trends do you notice about food production in Haiti over this 20 year period???

Impacts of rapid population growth / overpopulation Haiti

Rapid population growth (1.9% year)

Deforestation of steep (20 degrees) slopes for fuel

Loss of binding root systems and canopy interception

Extensive soil erosion during tropical storms and hurricanes

Increased overland flow

Loss of soil fertility

Reduced food production (refer to table)

Increased Rural poverty

Rural-urban migration of 1.5 million to Port au Prince

Slum growth – e.g. Cite Soleil slum population 300,000

High unemployment (70%) and underemployment (informal sector)

Poverty leads to high birth rate TFR 5.4

Vicious downward circle of decline linked

to overpopulation

Effects of population pressure on the human environment

• Haiti - highest incidence of HIV/Aids in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 300,000 cases

• Diseases like TB and Cholera spreading.• Poor health care infrastructure

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32001&Cr=haiti&Cr1

=

9 September 2009 – Haiti has “a remarkable opportunity” to overcome decades of misrule and neglect, but major hurdles remain and the international community must step up its support to ensure the Caribbean country can consolidate its gains, the United Nations Special Envoy and former United States president Bill Clinton said today.

Test yourself Exam questions

• Look at the population pyramid below. Explain which stage of

the DTM this country would be found in. Justify your answer.

• Examine the impact of Haiti’s population structure on the balance between population and resources. (15)