EPISODE · Oct 20, 2017 · 40 MIN
Episode 12 Disaster risk and resilience in Haiti
from DesignSafe Radio · host DesignSafe Radio
Host Dan Zehner interviews Crystal Felima, a social anthropologist who focuses on natural hazard risks and recovery in Haiti. She collects stories from residents to better understand the country’s responses to hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes. Currently, Felima is a PhD candidate at the University of Florida at Gainesville. By providing a social understanding of how disasters affect vulnerable populations in Haiti, her work is a bridge to effective technical hazard research. Felima discusses her immersive studies in the northern and southern parts of the island nation, learning the language and cultural customs. She describes a riverside community near the city of Cap-Haïtien where residents commonly use landfill materials to create new ground for building houses. The reclaimed land floods easily and the practice worsens flooding in nearby towns. For vulnerable people trying to make better lives for themselves, Felima explains, such risks are acceptable. She cites a Haitian proverb: behind every mountain is a mountain, which she says illustrates the people’s quietly ironic view of life as a series of obstacles. Haitians may face difficulties, but they are resilient. She discusses government efforts to prepare the populace for impending storms, but many rural areas are not electrified, which makes mass communication difficult. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated southern portions of the country. Hundreds died, and many more were displaced. The destruction of farms had long-term effects on the availability of fresh food for the region. People are still struggling. As she collects stories from survivors, she’s learned how much people depend on aid from their communities and personal relationships – family, neighbors and relatives abroad. Gathering stories about disasters from Haitian people helps Felima understand the complexities involved in preparing for and recovering from natural disasters in Haiti, especially in poor areas. She hopes her continued research and insights will help engineers and builders improve the infrastructure in these areas.
What this episode covers
Host Dan Zehner interviews Crystal Felima, a social anthropologist who focuses on natural hazard risks and recovery in Haiti. She collects stories from residents to better understand the country’s responses to hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes. Currently, Felima is a PhD candidate at the University of Florida at Gainesville. By providing a social understanding of how disasters affect vulnerable populations in Haiti, her work is a bridge to effective technical hazard research. Felima discusses her immersive studies in the northern and southern parts of the island nation, learning the language and cultural customs. She describes a riverside community near the city of Cap-Haïtien where residents commonly use landfill materials to create new ground for building houses. The reclaimed land floods easily and the practice worsens flooding in nearby towns. For vulnerable people trying to make better lives for themselves, Felima explains, such risks are acceptable. She cites a Haitian proverb: behind every mountain is a mountain, which she says illustrates the people’s quietly ironic view of life as a series of obstacles. Haitians may face difficulties, but they are resilient. She discusses government efforts to prepare the populace for impending storms, but many rural areas are not electrified, which makes mass communication difficult. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated southern portions of the country. Hundreds died, and many more were displaced. The destruction of farms had long-term effects on the availability of fresh food for the region. People are still struggling. As she collects stories from survivors, she’s learned how much people depend on aid from their communities and personal relationships – family, neighbors and relatives abroad. Gathering stories about disasters from Haitian people helps Felima understand the complexities involved in preparing for and recovering from natural disasters in Haiti, especially in poor areas. She hopes her continued research and insights will help engineers and builders improve the infrastructure in these areas.
NOW PLAYING
Episode 12 Disaster risk and resilience in Haiti
No transcript for this episode yet