Land hunger has led to uncontrolled deforestation, despite laws restricting
tree-felling since 1820s. Once heavily forested, Haiti has lost all but a tiny
fraction of tree cover in 1954 the proportion under forest was estimated
at only 8 per cent. The decline has continued since then due to the search
for land to cultivate and also for fuel requirements. Wood and charcoal
provide about 85 per cent of Haiti's energy needs. The deforestation, which
amounts to an irreversible ecological catastrophe, has worsened the drought
conditions over large parts of the country. The country's output of electric
power is now threatened as land erosion has led to the silting up of the rivers
supplying the Peligre and Saut Mathurine hydroelectric power plants