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Once densely covered with pines, some 97 percent of Haiti's trees have disappeared since the arrival of European colonists. Unchecked logging operations, reaching their peak in the 1950s, destroyed significant amounts of trees, but Haiti's rural population has become trapped in a cycle of environmental destruction: without trees to hold it in place, much of the country's topsoil has been washed away, reducing the available arable land to such a degree that those who might otherwise raise crops now fell the few remaining trees to burn and sell as charcoal. Reforestation programs, begun in the late 1980s, failed as more trees were cut down than were planted. The photo shows a deforested mountain range in Haiti's Central Plateau region. Newer reforestation projects, which substitute fruit trees and other cash crops, show more promise, but unless steps are taken immediately, it is likely that Haiti's remaining forests will disappear.
Credit: Daniel Morel/Wozo Productions
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Briefing
Read about the political, economic, social, and historical realities of Haiti that will influence upcoming elections.
Handbook
Learn about people and organizations making a difference in Haiti's developing civil society.
Filmmaker Notes
Go behind the scenes with filmmakers Daniel Morel, Jane Regan, and Whitney Dow.
A Developing World View: Interactive Atlas
Ways of comparing the world's haves and have-nots.
Corruption Chart
Calculate the cost of the culture of corruption.
Mexico Photo Forum
React to photos on human rights and corruption in Mexico.
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