Air pollution in Colombia

COLOMBIA ´S   climate varies from tropical to temperate, resulting in a diverse environmental system. As well, Colombia is a highly populous country, with up to a quarter of the entire population living in urban centers. This concentration of people in cities results in a collection of urban-oriented environmental problems, the most significant of which is air pollution.

In non-urban areas, coffee production, mining activities, clearing of land for cattle grazing, all contribute to deforestation and the concomitant problem of soil erosion. In the Choco region of Colombia, there are marked threats to bio-diversity, specifically of wildlife and plant species. The exploitation of forests for timber, as well as the prevalence of cocaine trafficking further intensifies these issues.

Soil Erosion !!

 Because of its high altitude, Bogota experiences terrible air pollution problems. The Commons reported that 70 percent of the city's air pollution problems stem from automobiles. Although only a small number of people own automobiles in the city, traffic is so congested that it can take over an hour to travel five miles.

   Soil Erosion !!
 

Deforestation in Haiti:

 Is a severe environmental problem. In 1923, over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; by 2006, less than 2% was.
Deforestation sped up after Hurricane Hazel downed trees throughout the island in 1954. Beginning in about 1954, concessionaires stepped up their logging operations, in response to Port-au-Prince´s intensified demand for charcoal, thus accelerating deforestation, which had already become a problem because of environmentally unsound agricultural practices, rapid population growth, and increased competition over scarce land.

Rather than using techniques which could make forestry more productive for fuel, like coppicing and pollarding, the lack of title on much land results in charcoal burners digging up and using tree root structures. There is also a less discussed problem with feral goats which overgraze and eat seedlings that might otherwise replace ground cover.

The most direct effect of deforestation is soil erosion.^[2] An estimated 15,000 acres (61 km²) of topsoil are washed away each year, with erosion also damaging other productive infrastructure such as dams, irrigation systems, roads, and coastal marine ecosystems. Soil erosion also lowers the productivity of the land, worsens droughts, and eventually leads to desertification.

Most of Haiti's governments paid only lip service to the imperative of reforestation. As was the case in other areas of Haitian life, the main impetus to act came from abroad. USAID's Agroforestry Outreach Program, was the country's major reforestation program in the 1980s. Peasants planted more than 25 million trees under Projè Pyebwa, but as many as seven trees were cut for each new tree planted. Later efforts to save Haiti's trees focused on intensifying reforestation programs, reducing waste in charcoal production, introducing more wood-efficient stoves, and importing wood under USAID's Food for Peace program. Because most Haitians still depend on wood and charcoal as their primary fuel source, energy alternatives are needed to save the forests.