Haiti’s 2010 Earthquake: the Ongoing Fight Against Climate Change and the Decade-long Struggle Towards Recovery

Ashley Jun ’26

In 2010, Haiti was hit with a catastrophic earthquake that resulted in the death of 316,00 people. This magnitude of a 7.0 Mw earthquake has left a long legacy of impact in Haiti, portraying the country with low resilience. From economic and health impacts to migratory impacts, this earthquake is one that Haiti will never forget. 

Not only did Haiti’s national debt significantly increase with less support from donors after the 2010 earthquake, but malnutrition became prevalent, severely impacting the children of Haiti. Furthermore, water-borne diseases were widespread––not to mention the rise of chronic diseases––while people had limited access to healthcare due to a shortage of workers. Many infrastructures were destroyed, leading to a sharp rise in homelessness as well. The election of 2015 was also postponed and corruption became clearly noticeable in the country. Lastly, Haiti became highly vulnerable to disasters and other climate-related events. In fact, it is estimated that over 96% of the population of Haiti has been threatened by hazards like hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. 

This earthquake “occurred at a fault that runs right through Haiti”, and it happened as a result of the Caribbean and North American plates creeping toward each other. Unfortunately, Haiti does not seem like it is ready to combat possible natural disasters in the future. 

As NBC news reports, “it should come as no surprise that the solid Earth is starting to respond once more” due to the rise in temperatures––we are living in a world that has “one degree centigrade higher than during preindustrial times”. Other factors such as heavy rainfall, droughts, and landslides make Haiti even more vulnerable to climate change. Furthermore, Haiti’s lack of regulations to stop human-caused deforestation and construction brings serious attention to Haiti's need for help. 

Unfortunately, even after the 2010 earthquake, the international community has made many efforts to alleviate the struggles in Haiti. However, not much progress has been made, and Haiti needs more help. One method that can significantly help the people in Haiti is by including “livelihoods as an essential part of the restoration project” such as “agroforestry systems or living erosion barriers on agricultural fields”. These methods are effective as they will directly help people overcome food insecurity and find stability in both human health and the ecosystem. Furthermore, these methods are much more “accessible and affordable for Haitian people” compared to the expensive engineering mechanisms. 

The 2010 Haiti earthquake left a long legacy that still impacts people to this day. Therefore, a more focused and targeted effort from the international community is necessary in order for Haiti to survive the accelerating climate change impacts that it will face in the near future.

References:

5 facts on reducing disaster risk regarding Haiti earthquakes. PreventionWeb. (2022, November 23). https://www.preventionweb.net/news/5-facts-reducing-disaster-risk-regarding-haiti-earthquakes

Delone , J. D. (2011, March 28). Haiti’s quake survivors fear weather disasters. Thomson Reuters Foundation News. https://news.trust.org/item/20110328154500-0d6sq

Haiti facing the challenge of climate change. UNICEF. (2023, October 10). https://www.unicef.org/haiti/en/stories/haiti-facing-challenge-climate-change

Lutz, J., & Yayboke, E. (2021, November 22). Haitian Migration: Food Insecurity, Fragility, and a Better Way Forward. CSIS. https://www.csis.org/analysis/haitian-migration-food-insecurity-fragility-and-better-way-forward

McGuire, B. (2016, October 16). How climate change triggers earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/16/climate-change-triggers-earthquakes-tsunamis-volcanoes

Mizutori, M. (2020, January 10). Opinion: Ten Years after earthquake, Haiti still vulnerable to disasters. PreventionWeb. https://www.preventionweb.net/news/opinion-ten-years-after-earthquake-haiti-still-vulnerable-disasters

NBCUniversal News Group. (2010, January 13). What caused the devastating Haiti earthquake?. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34842469

Pallardy, R. (2025a, January 15). 2010 Haiti earthquake. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/2010-Haiti-earthquake

Pallardy, R. (2025b, January 15). 2010 Haiti earthquake. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/2010-Haiti-earthquake