Abstract

Environmental problems and loss of forest cover resulting from inappropriate land use in Haiti date back to the colonial period. These problems became more pronounced in the 19th century and are even more pronounced today. Haiti, which is a mountainous country of more than 80%, saw its population, descendants of slaves, take refuge in the mountains to protest against the slave system. They remained there after national independence in 1804. This study addresses the problem of human settlements in mountainous environments in Haiti in relation to the vulnerability of the territory to natural disasters. Through a field survey that was conducted with 156 families living in the village of Vallue, a territory where the Association des Planteurs de Vallue (APV) conducts activities to support the population. This association conducts, in parallel with its reforestation activities, activities to improve the habitat of rural families. The analysis of the survey data showed that the majority of the habitats in the area studied were affected by the earthquake of 2010. This disaster resulted in the construction or reconstruction of 39.7% of the village’s habitat. To mitigate the loss of habitat during a natural disaster, it is proposed a habitat model that prioritizes the use of local materials, usually used in traditional style habitats, combine them with wood resources offering good resistance to wind and develop a habitat that in addition to meeting social and family needs will meet the requirements of safety and sustainability: the reactive bio-habitat.

Presenters

Jean Fernney Piou
Head of Department, Heritage and Tourism, Université d'État d'Haïti (UEH), Ouest, Haiti

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Constructing the Environment

KEYWORDS

Biodiversity, Habitat, Mountain, Natural disasters, Rural community, Vulnerability

Digital Media

Videos

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