Recommendations to Recommendations to UNDP: UNDP: HAITIHAITI

Hilary Anderson, Mary Rose Axiak, Jane Franklin

Where is development?What can we do? How can we save lives and improve

livelihoods?

 

Brief History of Haiti “Discovered” by Columbus: Former Spanish and

French colony

Island first inhabitants were Tainos  

Shares island with Dominican Republic

Independence from France in 1804

Only country to gain independence from a slave rebellion

First country to outlaw slavery in the Western Hemisphere

Prominent leaders: Duvaliers, Aristide, Preval

HaitiHaitiGeography

Similar in size to of the United States’ Maryland, has a total area of 27,750 square kilometers

3rd largest country in the Caribbean (Cuba and the Dominican Republic)

Mountainous country with four major ranges

Soils are thin and quickly become infertile when cultivated

Only has 28.11% arable land, and permanent crops are at less than 12%.

Demographics Majority of Haiti’s populations are of African origin

Population 8,924,553 (2008)

41.8% under 14  3.5%  over 65

Diaspora/ brain drain

Language: Creole and French (1/10)

Religion: Roman Catholic and Voodoo

Tropical Climate

Environmental Issues

Over-cultivation

Prone to natural disaster -in the middle of the hurricane belt

Earthquakes

Periodic droughts, flooding, inadequate supplies of potable water

Deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared and used as fuel)

Soil erosion-one-third of land may have eroded beyond recovery

Loss of natural vegetation has led to loss of wildlife in the country, with some animals even being extinct on the island

Current Situation Poorest country in western hemisphere, 146 of 178 in

HDI

54% of Haitians live on less than $1/day78% on less than $2/day

GNI per capita is US$480

New government

Literacy (people 13 years of age and older) is 43 percent.

Life expectancy at birth is 60 years

The infant mortality rate is 60 for every 1,000 live births

The prevalence of HIV among the population (aged 15-49) is 2.2 percent.

Less than 2 percent of forest cover remains

Economic Context

Real income per capita has declined on average by 2 percent annually over the past 20 years

Per capita GDP for 2006 was $480

80% of population living on less than US$2 per day

80% of Haitian males are unemployed

New government has increased transparency and created a 2% increase in GDP for each 2006 and 2007

 Haitian economic growth is slower than developing nations in Africa

 Economic 

                      

  Political and economic instability, low growth and high levels of inequality and poverty have been persistent

challenges confronting Haiti

Economic 

Economic

Two Major Programs:

World Bank Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability, 2008

 World Bank Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy: 2008 -2010

Social As of 2001, 78 percent of Haitians were classified as poor, living on less than US$2 a day

More than half of Haitians live in extreme poverty, living on less than US$1 a day.

Infant mortality rate of 75 per 1,000 births

Illiteracy rate of 47 percent Highest incidence of HIV/AIDS outside of sub-Saharan Africa

Over half of the population does not have access to safe food and water.

SocialAs of November 2007, Haiti’s Poverty Reduction Strategy consisted of three pillars: 

1.Drivers of growth (agriculture and rural development, tourism, infrastructure)

2.Human development (education and training, health, water and sanitation, the handicapped, children in poverty, youth, HIV/AIDS, gender equality) 

3.Democratic governance (justice, security, modernization of the state, territorial management, macroeconomic framework). 

Social Two Major Programs:

 

Education for All Project (EFA)

 Urban Community Driven Development Project (PRODEPUR)

Political

Formerly Spanish and French Colony

Transfer of power from TFG to newly elected government: 2006 President Preval

Political violence settling but unrest still looms

Lack of economic opportunity and social infrastructure will lead to increased political unrest

Challenges:

1. Improving security

2. Building a state

3. Prioritizing interventions

4. Delivering rapid results on the ground; and 

5. Pursuing inclusive country-wide dialogue with all political and social forces

Political

Two Major Programs:DDR: first UN

coordinated efforts Political Reform:

following elections

According to MINUSTAH, in the period between June 2004 and May 2005,424 people died as a result of criminal acts, of which 323 deaths were in Port-au-Prince. Kidnapping rates grew steadily, reaching 20-24 cases per day in May-December 2005.

UNDPRecommendations for Greatest Impact

INFRASTRUCTUREROADS

DEVELOPMENTPROGRAM

WATER SANITATION DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM

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