The deforestation in Haiti has its historical roots in 1730, during colonization's excessive abuse of agricultural techniques in which French settlers intensively deforested for lumber, fuel and furniture.  After the Independence, the Government was forced to produce timber and abuse the resources of the land throughout the 19th century, to pay France a 90-million-francindemnification. Around the 1940s and 1950s, the deforestation was highly accelerated in what Haitian writer like Marie Vieux Chauvet described as a poverty cycle: Increased population leads to more consumption which also pressures on production which due to poor techniques, it causes the forests to be destroyed. Moreover, cities expansion,has caused the countryside to be exploded for resources, leaving less and less for future generations. And to the top of that, Haiti has been victim to constant Hurricanes which destroy coasts.Nowadays, wood-based fuels are the primary driver of deforestation. Over 70 percent of Haiti’s consumption comes from wood which makes Haiti's forests vulnerable and contribute to lower the air's quality. In 2006, it was estimated that because of its history, 98% of forests in Haiti are lost. Additionally, Haiti is a country that depends on the agriculture to survive. Given that the agriculture’s potential is being diminished by the limited ecosystem, farming systems are vulnerable to climate change and climate-induced shocks. Therefore, after a natural disaster, the food security is lost. For example, after 2012 Hurricanes, 70 percent of Haitians experienced severe hunger. Reforesting Haiti is a matter of environmental and human justice, to reinforce Haiti’s economy and to bring more food and energy to its citizens, which is fundamental for their survival. The challenges are intimidating. Haiti needs to reforest, to preserve what the ecosystems it has, to prepare the farmers for natural disasters, and to increase infrastructure.But, initiatives to protect, to rise knowledge to reforest Haiti are starting to steam in the young generations.     Author:    Natalia Dimas, 25.

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