Casestudy: Haiti LIDC Earthquake Flashcards
Where is Haiti?
Situated at the end of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola
What is an alternate physical factor into why Haiti suffered from the earthquake?
- Up until 2010, most of the seismic activity of recent times took place in the Dominican republic.
- This recurrence interval meant many were complacent and not prepared
What movement caused the Haiti earthquake?
The conservative margin whereby the Caribbean plate is slipping eastwards to the North American plate.
When did the Haiti earthquake occur?
12 January 2010.
What was the MW of the Haiti earthquake?
7.0 MW.
Where was the epicenter of the Haiti earthquake?
25km Southwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital.
List social impacts of the Haiti earthquake
- Official figures place deaths at 316000.
- Over 300,000 houses were destroyed or damaged - displacing 1.5 million people.
What social predispositions were there for Haitians before the earthquake?
- There was vulnerabilities.
- 50% had no access to fresh water
- Over 1/2 had no access to basic health care.
- Literacy rates are one of the lowest in the world.
- Population growth and poverty led to extensive deforestation
- Rapid depopulation of the countryside occurred and led to the growth of ‘Bidonvilles’ (slums).
Where did most damage occur in Haiti earthquakes?
In the poorest areas of the city, that were build on steep slopes prone to landslides.
What is an example of Haiti experiencing longer temporal damage from earthquakes?
- By 2020, 10 years following the earthquake, over **30,000* people still live in camps for those displaced.
What are the secondary effects of the Haiti 2010 earthquake?
- A cholera epidemic broke out in October 2010.
- Since then, over 800,000 cases have been recorded.
- In 2020, official deaths were put at 10,000 - yet it is disputed to be 8x that number.
- Haiti went from a HDI of 149th place in 2009 to 169th place in 2020.
- In these years, number of people who are undernourished has increased to 3.7m/11.7 mil.
What was Haiti’s economy and government like before the 2010 earthquake?
- The Haitian government had historical barriers to development from independence agreements.
- The Haitian government had to compensate $21 Billion to the French for loss of enslaved people, which wasn’t completed till 1947 - being a major barrier to development
- Modernly. Haiti had been negatively impacted by the USA - as it occupied the country during the early 20th century and supported dictators that served US interest.
- Economic decisions, such as removing tariffs from the USA undercut and bankrupted local farmers - leading to accelerated urbanization.
What was the impact of the Haiti 2010 earthquake on the economy?
- The Haitian economy has hardly grown since the earthquake
- Haiti’s largest income source is remittances, sent by expatriate Haitians working abroad. This accounts for 25% of Haiti’s GDP - so there is little economic independence.
- Foreign aid provides 20% of the annual budget - again, having a massive dependence.
- A continuing weak and corrupt government had further struggled to collect tax income
How was modifying vulnerability limited in Haiti?
- Prior to the 2010 earthquake, there was no monitoring system in Haiti and limited infrastructure.
- This could be attributed to economy, and other factors such as recurrence interval.
- The last major earthquake in Haiti was in 1860, so people became complacent.
- From poverty, most planning focused on frequent challenges of hurricanes.
In what ways has Haiti attempted to ‘modify vulnerability’?
- The USGS has helped with earthquake awareness in Haiti, with continued support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
- 15 seismic stations have been installed since 2010 (however, they are not resistant and there is not enough money to staff a 24 hour team).
- Progress has been made with establishing hazard maps that outline areas at risk - such as those with softer sediments.
In what way is modifying vulnerability still a problem in Haiti following 2010?
- There is no ‘Japanese’ style education program to advise children what to do in the event of an earthquake.
- There is an inability from the state to enforce earthquake-resistant building design - typical of poorer societies.
- There is no government approved building code given that there have bee 4 presidents and 7 prime ministers since 2010. So, stability and long term planning are not evident.
- Under funding still occurs, such as with the Bureau of Mines and Energy which oversees Haiti’s earthquake surveillance. This has an annual budget of $600,000, which is 0.04% of the national budget.
How has Haiti attempted to ‘modify loss’ from the 2010 earthquake?
- The work of NGOs.
- The International Donors Conference ‘Towards a New Future for Haiti’ was held after the earthquake, pledging over $5.3 billion for recovery to be spent over 2 years.
- The Interim Haitian Reconstruction Commission (IHRC), or the Clinton Commission helped this.
- 45% of US households donated to Haiti
What are the limitations of efforts expended to ‘modify loss’ in Haiti?
- In the first rush of aid following the earthquake, only 1% of all donor funds available for emergency assistance was offered to the Haitian government.
- Haitian-native NGOs received just 0.4% of international aid.
- The Red Cross raised over 400 million, yet built 6 houses. USAID planned to built 15000 new houses, but built 900.
- No houses planned were built to earthquake standards.
- Almost 2/3 of money raised for NGOs remain the bank accounts of aid money managers.
