SUBJECT: DISASTER & RISK MANAGEMENT

TEACHER IN CHARGE: Dr. ROHIT JIGYASU

SUBMISSION NO. 1

HAITI
EARTHQUAKE

HAITI

SUBMITTED BY:
HARISH GUPTA 2nd sem
AMRIT PANWAR 2nd sem
DEEPIKA GANDHI 2nd sem
RAJIV MEHTA 2nd sem
 (I) introduction
About Haiti

Haiti (pronounced /ˈheɪtɪ/; French Haïti,

pronounced: [a.iti]; Haitian Creole: Ayiti, Location: Caribbean, western one-third of the
Haitian Creole pronunciation: [ajiti]), island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean
officially the Republic of Haiti (République Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
d'Haïti ; Repiblik Ayiti) is a Caribbean Dominican Republic
country. Along with the Dominican Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 72 25 W
Republic, it occupies the island of
Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean Map references: Central America and the
archipelago. Ayiti (land of high mountains) Caribbean
was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian
name for the mountainous western side of the Area:
island. total: 27,750 sq km
It was the first independent nation in Latin land: 27,560 sq km
America and the first black-led republic in water: 190 sq km
the world when it gained independence as Area - comparative: slightly smaller than
part of a successful slave rebellion in 1804. Maryland
One of the poorest countries in the Western Land boundaries:
Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by total: 275 km
political violence for most of its history.
Over three decades of dictatorship followed border countries: Dominican Republic 275
by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean- km
Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Coastline: 1,771 km
Most of his term was usurped by a military Maritime claims:
takeover, but he was able to return to office contiguous zone: 24 nm
in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
associate to the presidency in 1996.
 (I) introduction
About Haiti
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; semiarid where
mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper,
calcium carbonate, gold, marble,
hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 44% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
subject to severe storms from June to October;
occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic
droughts
Environment –
current issues: extensive deforestation (much of
the remaining forested land is being cleared for
agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion;
inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment –
international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban
Geography –
note: shares island of Hispaniola with
Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti,
eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
 (3) PEOPLE

Religions: Sex ratio:

Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist
10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%),
none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly one-half of the population also
practices Voodoo
Languages:
French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male's)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 97.1 deaths/1,000 live
births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.21 years
male: 47.46 years
female: 51.06 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman
(2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian
(4) GOVERNMENT
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti
Data code: HA
Government type: elected government
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Administrative divisions: 9 departments
(departments, singular - department);
Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord,
Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-
Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from
France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1
January (1804)
Constitution: approved March 1987;
suspended June 1988, with most articles
reinstated March 1989; in October 1991,
government claimed to be observing the
constitution; return to constitutional rule,
October 1994
Legal system: based on Roman civil law
system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Country name:
Economy - overview: About 80% of the
population lives in abject poverty. Nearly
70% of all Haitians depend on the
agriculture sector, which consists mainly of
small-scale subsistence farming and
employs about two-thirds of the
economically active work force. The
country has experienced little job creation
February 1996, although the informal
economy is growing. Failure to reach
agreements with international sponsors
have denied Haiti badly needed budget and
development assistance. Meeting aid
conditions in 2000 will be especially
challenging in the face of mounting popular
criticism of reforms. GDP: purchasing ower
parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity -
$1,340 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 20%
services: 48% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 80% (1998
est.)
Unemployment rate: 70%; widespread
underemployment; more than two-thirds of
the labor force do not have formal jobs
(1999)
 (4) GOVERNMENT

Budget:
revenues: $323 million
expenditures: $363 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.)
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries
based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1997 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Currency: 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1 - 18.262 (January 2000), 17.965 (1999), 16.505 (1998),
17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995)

Communication Facilities/ connectivity

Telephones - main lines in use: 60,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly
better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios: 415,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions: 38,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (1999)
 (4) GOVERNMENT

Railways:
total: 40 km (single track; privately owned
industrial line) - closed in early 1990s
narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge
Highways:
total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: NEGL; less than 100 km navigable
Ports and harbors: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives,
Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-
Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.) Airports: 13
(1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Haitian National Police
(HNP)
note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and
Air Force have been demobilized but
Military
manpower - military age: 18 years of age
males age 15-49: 857,666 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually:
males: 83,863 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA ;
note - mainly for police and security
activities
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA
%
Military - note: the Haitian Armed Forces
have been demobilized and replaced by the
Haitian National Police
 (4) Chronological Events

1492 – Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola.

1496 – Spanish establish first European settlement in western hemisphere in Santo Domingo, now
capital of Dominican Republic.
1697 – Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola to France, St Domingue and retains east, Santo
Domingo. The island is prized by European colonists as it rich is in natural resources,
including cocoa, cotton and sugar cane. Thousands of slaves are brought in mainly
from West Africa to harvest crops.
1801 – A former black slave, General Toussaint Louverture, leads a slave rebellion, liberates the
island, abolishes slavery and proclaims himself governor-general of an
autonomous government over all Hispaniola.
1802 – French forces led by Napoleon’s brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, fail to re-conquer the
island of Hispaniola. General Louverture is betrayed by the French and subsequently exiled
to France where he dies.
Independence
1804 – Hispaniola is declared an independent republic, the second in the western hemisphere. It is
renamed Haiti, land of the mountains. Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself
emperor.
1806 – Dessalines is assassinated and Haiti is divided into a black-controlled north, with Henri
Christophe and a mulatto-ruled south, with Alexandre Petion.
1818-43 – Pierre Boyer takes control and unifies Haiti.
1915 – US Marines occupy Haiti.
1934 – US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.
1937– Thousands of Haitians massacred within Dominican Republic and along the border under
President General Trujillo.
1956 – Physician François “Papa Doc” Duvalier seizes power in a military coup and is elected
president a year later.
1964 – Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of
Tontons Macoute. Tens of thousands are murdered or exiled.
1971 – Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or “Baby Doc
who retains his father’s regime.
 (4) Chronological Events

1986 – Baby Doc flees to France, in the wake of mounting popular discontent and protests.
Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy is placed as head of a governing council.
1988 – Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by General Namphy.
General Namphy is then expelled by Brigadier- General Prosper Avril
1990– General Avril resigns and a civilian government, lead by Supreme Court Justice Ertha
Pascal-Trouillot is installed.
Democracy, Coup and Intervention
1990 – Former Roman Catholic priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide is the first democratically elected
president.
1991 – Aristide is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions
by t he US and the Organization of American States (OAS). Over 40,000 Haitians are
rescued by US Coast Guards fleeing the coup regime by boat.
1993 – UN imposes sanctions after the military regime rejects an accord facilitating Aristide’s r
eturn.
1994 – Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces
oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns. Aristide dismantles
the military, a civilian police force is created.
1995 – UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary
elections; Rene Préval elected in December to replace Aristide as president.
1996 – Préval sworn in as president.
1997-99 – Serious political deadlock; new government named.
1999 – Préval declares that parliament’s term has expired and begins ruling by decree
following a series of disagreements with deputies.
Aristide's Second Term
2000 November – Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid allegations
of irregularities.
2001 July – Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow the
government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers.
2001 December – 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup attempt;
12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army
members.
2002 July – Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade
bloc.
2003 April – Voodou is recognized as an official religion.
 (4) Chronological Events

2004 January-February – Celebrations marking 200 years of independence are marred by

violent uprising against President Aristide. Rebels seize towns and cities; dozens are
killed. Mr. Aristide is forced into exile in South Africa; an interim government,
ead by Boniface Alexandre, is established.
2004 May – Severe floods in south, and in parts of neighboring Dominican
Republic, leave more than 2,000 dead.
2004 June – UN peacekeepers arrive, to take over security duties from US-l ed force and to help
flood survivors.
Late 2004 – Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital
2005 July – Hurricane Dennis kills at least 45 people.
2006 February – General elections, the first since former President Aristide was overthrown in
2004. Réne Préval is declared the winner of the presidential vote after a deal is reached
over spoiled ballot papers.
2006 June – A democratically-elected government headed by Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard
Alexis takes office.
2006 October – US partially lifts an arms embargo, imposed in 1991.
2008 April – Food riots. Government announces emergency plan to cut price of rice in bid to halt
unrest. Parliament dismisses Prime Minister Alexis.
2008 May – US and World Bank announce extra food aid totaling $30m.
In response to plea from President Préval for more police to help combat wave of
kidnappings-for-ransom, Brazil agrees to boost its peacekeeping force.
Tropical Storms
2008 August/September – Nearly 800 people are killed and hundreds are left injured as Haiti is
hit by a series of devastating storms and hurricanes.
2008 September – Michele Pierre-Louis succeeds Jacques-Edouard Alexis as Prime Minister.
2008 November – A school in Port-au-Prince collapses with approximately 500 pupils and
teachers inside. The authorities blame poor construction methods.
2009 May – Former US President Bill Clinton appointed UN Special Envoy for Haiti.
2009 July – World Bank and International Monetary Fund cancel $1.2bn of Haiti’s debt – 80%
of the total – after judging it to have fulfilled economic reform and poverty reduction
conditions.
 (4) Chronological Events

2009 October-November – Jean-Max Bellerive becomes Prime Minister after the Senate passes
censure motion against his predecessor, Michelle Pierre-Louis.
2010 January – An estimated 200,000 people are killed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits
the capital Port-au-Prince and neighboring towns, Jacmel and Leogane – the
worst in Haiti in over 200 years. Most of the capital city is left in ruins.

 Seismic Setting
Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic Haiti occupies roughly the
western third of the island. The northern shore of Hispaniola lies near the boundary separating the
Caribbean plate and the North American plate. This plate boundary is dominated by left"lateral
strike slip motion and compression, and accommodates about 20 mm slip with the Caribbean plate
moving eastward with respect to the North American plate. The island is crossed by several strike“
slip faults including those which make up the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault Zone on the south.
This fault zone starts offshore to the west of Haiti, bisects the Haitian peninsula, and then extends
eastward towards Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic (seeFigure1).
Althoughthere have been no recent significant earthquakes in Haiti,several earthquakes were
recorded by French historian Moreau de Saint"Méry (1750–1819) during the French colonial
period.He wrote that in Port"au"Prince, "only one masonry building had not collapsed" in the
earthquake of 1751 and
thatthe"wholecitycollapsed"intheearthquakeof1770(Wikipedia).Atthe18thCaribbeanGeological
Conference in 2008, Paul Mann et al. stated that the fault had been locked for over 200 years and the
periodofinactivitywaslikelyatanend(Mann,2008).
 (4) Chronological Events

Figure1:HistoricalSeismicityinHispaniolapriorto1960.LastmajorearthquakenearPort"au"Princewasin1770.

Ground Motion Estimates

The USGS has published Shake map instrumental intensity estimates (Figure 2) and estimated
peak Ground accelerations (PGA)(Figure3).Note that the bluedots in Figure3 indicate instrument
locations; The one instrument located in Haiti is along the north coast, far from the
epicenter.Figure3 shows a Maximum PGA of 0.30g.Based on the observed damage, Mr.Fierro
estimates the PGA was more likely 0.45g in Port-au-Prince and possibly higher west of the
epicenter in the direction of the rupture due to Forward directivity. Structures in Leogane and other
communities west of Carrefour suffered a higher Level of damage than similar construction in
Port-au-Prince.
 (4) Chronological Events

KEY FINDINGS:
Hazard Assessment for Earthquakes, Inland Flooding, and Landslides
Earthquakes, inland flooding and landslides are the three greatest hazard concerns associated with
resettlement, recovery, and initial reconstruction in Haiti. (Additional hazards are discussed elsewhere
in this document.)
• Hazards, Vulnerability, Risk, Planning – Hazard assessment is the first step in improving lives
through vulnerability and risk assessments, all of which need to incorporate locally-identified societal
needs. Hazard maps are the point of departure for vulnerability assessments leading to risk
assessments, which are to be used in land-use planning for development and reconstruction. Varying
values of financial and social risk will result in planning for different levels of protection (hospitals
require different standards than marketplaces).
• Maps of primary hazards exist and should be used – Preliminary maps for these three hazards
have been developed, including probabilistic seismic hazard maps, and should be used to guide local
standards of building and infrastructure. Haiti is also subject to hurricane and tropical-storm force
winds, coastal subsidence and lateral spreading, tsunami, and drought, and preliminary maps for many
of these hazards exist, or can be prepared.
• These maps will be refined, in partnership among Haitians and others – Long-term investment
and development require the expansion and refinement of natural-hazard analysis in Haiti (and the
region) as we move forward.
For example, we need to improve the seismic hazard maps to incorporate amplification due to soil
conditions and liquefaction potential. Refined versions of the current hazard maps will be created over
the coming year, based on studies that should be done in partnership by foreign and Haitian experts,
leading to long-term capacity for continuing improvement.
• Flooding and debris flows hazards are on the rise – Given the severity of human impacts to the
Haitian landscape related to deforestation and soil degradation and erosion, the risks associated with
flooding and mass movements (such as landslide and debris flow) are greater than would be expected
from historical experience and are likely to increase more as a consequence of climate change.
Temporary settlement and reconstruction along rapidly aggrading rivers and on unstable slopes should
be avoided.
• Critical sites require additional studies – For the most critical sites, individual studies will be
needed to locally refine these preliminary maps.
Engineering Issues for Buildings and Critical Infrastructure
The workshop identified four aspects of the rebuilding challenge from an engineering perspective:
 (4) Chronological Events

• Owner-built new construction

• Owner-built construction represents 80 to 90% of the construction within Haiti, and thus building
back better in Haiti requires improvements to the owner-built construction process.
• Use better building materials – The construction materials and practices currently used in Haiti
(i.e., reinforced concrete and concrete blocks) can be improved to build structures that are resistant to
both earthquakes and hurricanes.
•Improve construction methods – Specific improvements to construction methods should be
identified (e.g., tamping of concrete to remove voids), as well as appropriate features of the structural
details (e.g., reinforcement locations).
• Provide examples of home designs – Five to ten standard prescriptive designs should be developed,
each of which includes engineering drawings and building instructions, so that owners do not need to
develop specific building plans that incorporate appropriate detailing.
• Provide training and demonstration projects – Improvements to construction practice will require
hands-on training sessions and demonstration projects at vocational schools (e.g., masons school) and
local communities, as well as follow up visits to ensure that the improvements are being implemented.
• Provide incentives for proper implementation – Incentives for implementing the developed
improvements must be identified.
• Study improved designs for future development – In the long term, considerations should be given
to alternative types of structures and more sustainable solutions, using partnerships of Haitian and
foreign designers.
• New engineered infrastructure
Infra structure represents a wide range of facilities, including civic buildings (e.g. schools, hospitals,
government buildings), bridges, ports, water distribution systems, power generation and distribution
systems, drainage systems, waste-water collections systems, and solid waste management systems.
 (4) Chronological Events

• Encourage sustainable practices – Sustainable practices should be used whenever possible.

• Rehabilitation of existing buildings and infrastructure
Throughout the country (both within and beyond the earthquake affected area), buildings and
infrastructure are at risk of collapsing in the next earthquake. Buildings that survived the Jan. 12
earthquake are not necessarily earthquake-resistant.
• Assess buildings and infrastructure – An assessment of the seismic vulnerability of existing
buildings and infrastructure must be undertaken, and structures found to be deficient must be
rehabilitated. These assessments should initially target essential facilities (e.g., civic buildings,
institutional infrastructure, historic buildings) that are important to the population as a whole.
Use seismic engineering – Due to the importance of infrastructure facilities, they should be
seismically engineered using appropriate design codes.
• Adopt and/or modify existing design codes – This process requires adoption/modification of
existing design codes for the unique setting in Haiti, and the adopted design code must use appropriate
hazard estimates (e.g., ground-shaking design levels derived from seismic hazard maps) as the basis
for design.
• Work within regulatory framework with trained personnel – The design code needs to be
implemented within an appropriate regulatory framework that includes certification, inspection, and
enforcement. Enforcement of building codes will require capacity building of municipal engineers, and
public works department engineers and construction industry workers such as masons, carpenters, and
contractors.
Identify retrofitting methods applicable to Haiti – Cost-effective rehabilitation strategies should be
identified that are appropriate for the structural conditions in Haiti.
• Provide demonstrations of rehabilitation effectiveness – Demonstrations should be developed
(e.g., videos of shaking table tests that compare the responses of non-rehabilitated and rehabilitated
structures) that illustrate the effectiveness of rehabilitation.
• Identify and implement incentives for compliance – Incentives for rehabilitating existing buildings
should be identified and implemented, in order to encourage participation in resilient reconstruction.
• Landslide and liquefaction mitigation
Landslides and liquefaction represent hazards in which the ground fails, generating significant damage.
Landslides are a concern in steeper terrain and can be triggered by various mechanisms including
rainfall and earthquakes. Liquefaction occurs in saturated, loose sand when earthquake shaking is large
enough to temporarily transform the soil into a liquid-like state.
 (4) Chronological Events

• Identify susceptible areas – Areas prone to landslides and liquefaction should be identified
through the integration of geologic data, soil data, and topographic data, and measures should be
taken to minimize the risk posed by these hazards, either through enforced zoning or mitigation
measures.
• Improve soil in reclaimed land – Reclaimed land, such as the area around the port, is particularly
prone to liquefaction, and measures should be taken to improve the soils in these areas.
Improve embankments and other structures – Soil fill materials used in road embankments and
bridge approaches, as well as soft soils underlying roadbeds, may move considerably during an
earthquake, resulting in roads that are impassible. These embankments and fill materials should be
seismically engineered to perform better during earthquakes.
Capacity Building
The value of international investments in hazard-resistant structures will be greater if investments
are also used to strengthen the country’s social and institutional capacity in order to endow broad
cross-sections of Haitian society with the knowledge and resources to continually reduce the
country’s vulnerability to natural hazards well into the future. Build communities, not just houses.
• Provide direct financial support for education and training – Capacity building should be
promoted with direct financial support for education, training and outreach, including programs for
local masons, other vocational training, adult literacy, primary and secondary education,
universities, and development of the Haitian science and engineering communities.
• Preserve cultural heritage and social strengths – Haiti’s cultural heritage should be preserved
throughout the rebuilding process, but the country’s recovery should also be transformative.
Recognizing that widespread internal displacement has weakened many communities, perform
assessments of social capital to determine needs at the local level.
Solicit community participation– Local communities should be engaged in a participatory
planning process to promote buy-in for the reconstruction plan, a sense of ownership for rebuilding
efforts, and build capacity through direct engagement with reconstruction issues.
• Communicate facts of hazards – Assistance projects should budget for communication and
outreach that works to dispel rumors about hazard risk and promotes risk-wise behavior.
Communication of the hazards is essential, and education of the people and development agencies
should accompany widespread distribution of hazard maps and promulgation of construction
standards.
 (4) Chronological Events

• Use local markets – Leverage local markets for cost savings to avoid high international transaction
costs, promote business continuity, and stimulate the local economy.
• Budget for hazard mitigation, reducing impacts of future events – Allocate a portion of the
rebuilding budget for sustained hazard mitigation, recognizing that much of the future vulnerability to
hazards is represented by structures and communities not immediately impacted by the last event.
Long-Term Data Needs
In addition to identifying the existing hazard assessment tools that can be used to inform investments in
rebuilding, the workshop also identified a number of areas where additional data acquisition is needed to
refine hazard zonation, recurrence frequency, and city master planning based on identifying areas of
significant risk from various hazards. Major data needs for improved risk and vulnerability assessments
include:
Improved topographic and bathymetric information – The currently available 90-meter resolution
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data are not sufficient. Higher-resolution SRTM data exist
and should be released. There is an associated need for still higher-resolution light detection and ranging
(LIDAR) acquisition in key hazard-prone areas.
• Remote-sensing data and studies – Continued and enhanced remote sensing observations are required
to monitor and update hazard assessments. Satellite-based optical and synthetic aperture radar
observations are needed to support field observations and to monitor surface deformation associated with
strain accumulation and mass movements.
• Field surveys for geology and soil classifications – Soil type and texture information is essential for
slope-stability studies, reforestation planning, determination of site-specific seismic shaking
amplification, and flood modeling.
Monitoring networks for multiple hazards – Reconstruction plans need to invest in a long-term
program for development of monitoring capabilities, which must include a strong Haitian local capacity
and infrastructure for long-term viability. In-situ networks of rain and river gauges are required for
analysis and model verification for use in flooding and landslide hazard evaluation, as well as for
agricultural and hydro power optimization. Seismograph and GPS networks are required for improving
the assessment of earthquake and related hazards. Social tracking data are needed to improve
vulnerability assessments and evaluate adoption of risk-wise behavior.
 (4) Chronological Events

Consideration of geophysical drivers of natural hazards – Scientific observations and analysis are
inherently regional in scope; natural hazards know no borders. Targeted investment in a regional
capability that incorporates and builds upon capacity developed in Haiti will improve the
sustainability of monitoring activities. This is an important consideration for hazards that have long
recurrence intervals in any one location but have devastating impacts when they strike. The regional
approach should leverage existing networks, infrastructures, organizations and social capacity to the
extent possible and should facilitate access to the information generated.
 (4) Chronological Events

Implications for Haiti

The impact of the January earthquake on Haiti’s people, government, security, and economy is
catastrophic. Haiti had built a foundation of social stability over the past five years. That stability was
fragile, however, and a disaster of this proportion will test it to the extremes. In the initial days after
the earthquake struck, there was chaos, but violence was reportedly sporadic. As hundreds of
thousands of people remain without food, water, shelter, and medical services, the challenge of
maintaining order will be an enormous task. Those same conditions, along with a limited ability to
respond to them, will create a precarious environment. Haiti already had a development and poverty
reduction strategy in place, supported by the international donor community. The government had
been making strides toward meeting goals of that strategy, and analysts were viewing its potential for
sustainable development with optimism. Investors had begun to return to Haiti and the country was
promoting its economic development. The earthquake has reversed years of progress. Haiti’s strategy
will therefore need to be reviewed, revised, and built upon to incorporate new conditions and needs.
The destruction of buildings, equipment, and loss of skilled personnel has drastically reduced the
ability of the government, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to
respond rapidly. These losses, plus the difficulty of delivering and transporting material supplies, will
hinder delivery of services. In much of the country the government did not provide basic services
prior to the earthquake; what little basic services were available, in terms of water, health, and
electricity, were mostly destroyed. The lack of medicines or medical treatment, water, and adequate
sanitation in Haiti has been exacerbated by the earthquake and may increase the spread of disease. 18
Caribbean Media Corporation, "Caribbean heads of state to visit Haiti to assess quake damage," BBC
Monitoring
Americas, January 14, 2010.

Haiti Earthquake: Crisis and Response

Parliamentary elections were scheduled for February 2010. These presumably will be delayed, which
may add to the political tensions already evident before the earthquake over the exclusion of several
parties from the process. The elections were seen as part of the process of consolidating Haiti’s
democratic institutions. Migration may become another challenging issue both domestically and
internationally, as people try to leave Port-au-Prince for unaffected rural areas, the Dominican
Republic, nearby islands, other United States.
 (4) Chronological Events

Conclusions and Recommendations

It would be easy for those in the developed world to look at this tragedy and think that this cannot
happen here. Unfortunately for all of us, there are many locations in the world that build today
without appropriate seismic detailing; there are many vintage structures throughout both the
developed and Developing world without appropriate seismic detailing; there are many locations
where the current generation has no memory of seismic activity and earthquake preparedness is not
on the list of priorities. As the world population grows and urban areas become more densely
populated, the worldwide earthquake hazard is increasing rather than decreasing. Nevertheless,
successful seismic resistant schools, hospitals, commercial structures, and residences can be built
utilizing the same concrete, steel, and concrete block used in Haiti. Other countries such as Peru and
Turkey share many of the Problems seen in Haiti, and use confined masonry for the majority of their
building structures. Since1999,schools in Peru have been built following a standard design that has
been shown to resist ground motion on the order of 0.50g without any damage. The government of
Peru also sponsored the production and dissemination of a handbook for property owners and laborers
showing cartoon "style how to build a confined masonry home, including step by step instructions for
Digging footings, mixing concrete, arranging the bars, etc. (Blondet). Several pages from the Spanish
Language emersion of this booklet are shown in Figure32. The people of Haiti need to rebuild
quickly; on January 19th Mr. Fierro saw masons reconstructing collapsed walls using the exact
technology that caused them to fall. The international aid and engineering communities need to help
educate Haitians regarding the earthquake hazards and provide basic, easy to understand guidance on
how to rebuild their society in a more earthquake resilient fashion. This should not involve
reinventing the wheel; most of Haiti’s problems have previously been addressed else where. Some
ideas might include:
 (4) Chronological Events

Provide immediate assistance to the government of Haiti to develop and adopt a provisional
Building code that includes seismic provisions. Countries such as the Dominican Republican Peru
have codes that might be readily adapted for Haiti.
Provide immediate assistance to existing Haitian architecture, engineering, and construction
professionals to educate them on the principles of seismic design and construction; such
educational seminars should be organized as soon as possible, sincere construction is already
under way.
Translate the Peruvian booklet on confined masonry construction into Kreyol or French and make
it Available for free; provide training and demonstrations in public parks, schools, or locations
that sell building supplies, to show proper construction techniques.
Use international aid money to sponsor the construction of one great school in each affected town
following the plans developed in Peru; these plans are readily available and show a proven
technology that utilizes confined masonry.
Devise a mechanism to tie aid money for reconstruction t o the use of seismic detailing and
seismic resistant construction.
Create an avenue for engineers and inspectors from developed countries to help with design, plan
review, and construction inspection during the initial reconstruction period. We have received a
number of requests from American professionals asking how they can volunteer.
 (4) Chronological Events

,
Provide scholarships to existing Haitian students studying architecture and engineering to go abroad to
finish their studies, since many Haitian universities are not currently able to function and do not Have
the appropriate curriculum in seismic design. This could involve both short” and long term"
Scholarship arrangements.
In closing, here are photos of school construction in Peru (Figures 33"34). The school shown at left
(Figure 33) and the school in the background in Figure 34 both experienced ground motion of 0.5g
during the 2007 Pisco, Peru Earthquake. This was a magnitude 7.9 event; 80,000 structures collapsed in
Pisco, but these schools were undamaged. The wing in the foreground (Figure 34) was under
construction during July 2008 .At that time, we met a woman who identified herself as the Engineer of
Record and had designed the school; she was in the field personally tying all the bars for the column
cages because she said no one else could be trusted with such an important task. May engineer every
where take a lesson from her.

School in Pisco,Peru survived 7.9M2007

Pisco earthquake without
damage(PGA0.5g).Peruvian Government
developed standard plans for school
constructionin1999
(4) Chronological Events

,
School under construction, Pisco, Peru
July 2008.Building has 1m T"shaped
longitudinal wall at location of each
transverse wall; rest of transverse wall Is
solid unreinforced concrete block masonry
in fill.