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Essay / Analysis of the factors that negatively affect the economy of Haiti
Table of ContentsIntroductionBodyConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionA little over 200 years ago, Haiti gained its independence from France, which proved to be one of the worst mistakes this country has ever made. The Haitian economy would spend over a century repaying the French and not focusing on the development of their own country (Labrador). Therefore, Haiti remains a developing country that continues to struggle year after year and relies heavily on aid from other countries to survive. In fact, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and there are no signs of improvement for Haitians (Labrador). As I have already learned, the GDP per capita (average annual income) of Haitians is around $800, which is astonishing considering that in the United States our GDP per capita is around $60,000. This means that the average Haitian family lives on approximately $2 per day. In the United States, it is extremely difficult to understand the level of poverty that most Haitians face on a daily basis. There are many reasons for the corrupt economy in Haiti, but throughout this research paper, I will focus on the environmental issues that have negatively affected the Haitian economy. I will elaborate on the economic effects of the 2010 earthquake, deforestation and lack of sanitation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Body To begin, it is important to discuss the effects of one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit a country. In January 2010, Haiti was hit by an earthquake, killing around 250,000 people and injuring around half a million others (Kent). As a result, the earthquake caused even more damage to the million people who owned small businesses and homes in Haiti (Kent). Many researchers consider the earthquake to be the most devastating natural disaster that a country can face today (Amadeo). Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, was the center of the earthquake, causing complete destruction and leaving the city without housing, public services and means of income (Amadeo). Most importantly, Haiti's schools were destroyed, which is significant because lack of education is the main reason for poverty in Haiti. Before the earthquake, only 65% of children were in school, but after the earthquake that devastated Haitians, the country is far from being able to enroll children in classes close to 65% again. (Kent). As a result, educated families from Haiti usually immigrate to find better job opportunities away from Haiti, as there are not many great opportunities in Haiti (Kent). To summarize, approximately 20% of Haiti's 10 million inhabitants were severely affected by the 2010 earthquake (Amadeo). Nevertheless, before the 2010 earthquake, Haiti had promising economic development, there were signs of growth and improvement, but Haiti remained. as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (Amadeo). Some researchers saw the Haiti earthquake as an opportunity for a new beginning and others saw the earthquake as the end (Kent). I believe the 2010 earthquake left Haitians with no hope of improvement in the near future. Haitian communities are strong and resilient individuals, but I do not see a method by which Haiti could recover from this devastating natural disaster. Following theearthquake, Haiti suffered damage estimated at 14 billion dollars (Amadeo). Additionally, thanks to massive donations from other countries and debt relief from Venezuela and credit card companies, there was still virtually no sign of recovery for this poor country (Amadeo). After the earthquake, the United States donated huge sums of money to help start the rebuilding process, but Haitians had difficulty starting the process due to the extent of the damage in the infrastructure and worker inefficiency.(Kent). Finally, with the lack of tax revenue and uncertainty over aid promised by countries, the government continues to struggle to meet basic needs, such as; food, water and shelter to their community (Kent). To summarize, I pray that Haiti finds hope and a way to recover, but I do not believe that Haiti will ever become a developed country. Second, deforestation has been an ongoing problem in Haiti for centuries, ever since it gained independence from France. In fact, Haiti has the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Haiti only has 2% of its original rainforest left in the country (Burger). This led to massive flooding, erosion, habitat destruction and loss of housing (Burger). However, the majority of Haitians rely on wood in their daily lives for cooking, heating and selling charcoal to cities so their families can earn money (“Deforestation in Haiti”). The government also relies on charcoal as an exporter to other countries, which brings a small amount of revenue to Haiti. Haitian families have to live day by day, they never know what the future holds for them. Additionally, Haitian farmers need land for small-scale farming, so they must cut down trees to have pastures for new crops (Burger). Therefore, not only are farmers destroying plant and animal habitats, but they are also ruining a source of income for the country through tourism. As a result, I believe that in the next 100 years, Haiti will suffer from a mass extinction of animals, while people will face pressing problems. when leaving the country. All rainforests will be destroyed due to deforestation and the massive amounts of rainfall will completely wash away all agriculture in Haiti. Economically, families will have no way to survive in this country due to the lack of government assistance they receive each year. The government has not looked for another method of energy for Haitian families, so they are forced to continue cutting down trees to obtain charcoal to survive each day (“Deforestation in Haiti”). Additionally, it is almost impossible for Haitian farmers to plant trees on their pastures to restore the environment (Burger). Simply, this method has no economic value and farmers have neither the capacity nor the income to help restore the environment. Farmers worry about helping their families survive day to day instead of helping their country reach its peak. To summarize, Haiti's economy will continue to suffer due to inefficient utilization in agriculture unless the government is willing to step in to make a change. Finally, it is important to highlight how the lack of sanitation in Haiti has negatively affected the economy. . Haiti, as a country, does not meet basic health needs to prevent infectious diseases and protect health (Lefevre). Haiti is the most deprived country in the Western Hemisphere, with.