The Impacts of Climate Change on the Intersecting Drivers of Displacement in Haiti
Authors: Kenneth Chen (policy analyst) and Krithik Sivabalan (policy analyst) in collaboration with Melina McPhee (data analyst)
Executive Summary:
This policy brief explores how climate change exacerbates displacement in Haiti, a country highly vulnerable due to its geographic exposure, weak governance, economic fragility, and environmental degradation. Haiti suffers from both sudden-onset disasters (e.g., hurricanes) and slow-onset changes (e.g., sea-level rise), which displace millions. The brief compares Haiti with the Dominican Republic, showing how governance, institutional capacity, and economic resilience reduce vulnerability. It concludes with policy recommendations emphasizing regional cooperation, investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, ecosystem-based adaptation, and strengthened governance to address climate-driven displacement in a sustainable and locally-rooted way.
To read the complete policy brief, please click here.
To have a better understanding of the crisis in Haiti, please check the following interactive dashboards developed by Melina McPhee (data analyst with SFDI).
First Dashbaord: Fragile States Index Interactive Data
Dashboard Overview
This dashboard presents interactive data that allows the user to examine the vulnerability of various countries based on multiple dimensions of cohesion, economic, political and social indicators, which were used to devise an overall fragility score for each country. Policymakers, researchers and analysts can draw key insights into state fragility by comparing trends across countries, identifying shifts in stability and resilience and exploring state fragility scores over time.
Connecting to the Case Study
Haiti is an extreme case of state fragility, as various political and economic indicators continue to worsen alongside the global climate crisis. The dashboard allows for comparative analysis with other states, allowing the user to identify whether Haiti is an outlier or part of a broader global pattern and also illustrate the evolution of its fragility. While the case study will focus on potential areas for policy intervention, it is important to remember that Haiti’s ability to implement solutions is constrained by its state fragility.
Key Indicators
Although the underlying data uses a number of indicators, this dashboard focuses solely on state fragility scores, with higher scores indicating greater state fragility.
Data Filters
Fragility Scores by Year – Slide Bar is used to select the time period to explore.
Country Drop Down Box – Allows users to select multiple countries to examine simultaneously.
Visual Components
State Fragility Index by Country – Global map that provides the location of countries selected along with the countries’ total score.
Fragility Scores Over Time by Country – Graph showing time period in question and the fragility scores of each country selected.
Data used in this dashboard is retrieved from the Fragile States Index by The Fund For Peace.
Developer: Melina McPhee
Second Dashbaord: Internal Displacement in Haiti due to Natural Disasters (2008-2023) Interactive Data
Dashboard Overview
This dashboard presents interactive data that allows the user to explore the intersection of internal displacement and natural disasters in Haiti from 2008 to 2023. Throughout this period, a total of 2.5 million persons were internally displaced, and 44 disaster events were reported. Disasters ranged from earthquakes and hurricanes to storms, floods and tornadoes.
The dashboard allows you to explore the entire period available or zoom in on specific internal displacement and natural disaster data. This interactive tool enables policymakers, researchers, and analysts to identify which types of disasters are driving the most severe and highest percentage of internal displacement, observe trends over time, and reflect on the growing impact of climate-related events. By visualizing this data, the dashboard offers meaningful insights to inform deeper policy analysis and more effective, evidence-based responses to disaster-induced displacement in Haiti.
To learn more about the context, please read this case study about Haiti.
Data Filters & Visual Components
Pie Chart – displays percentages of total internal displacements by disaster type for the time period selected. Users can scroll over segments for more detailed information.
Internal Displacements – highlights number of internal displacements during the period selected.
Disaster Events Reported – highlights number of disaster events reported during the period selected.
Period Slide Bar – used to select the period for data exploration.
Internal Displacement Table – displays internal displacement numbers by disaster type and year.
Stacked Column Chart – displays the relative size of displacement caused by different disasters each year. Users can scroll over segments for more detailed information.
Data used in this dashboard is retrieved from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s Global Internal Displacement Database (GIDD).
Developer: Melina McPhee
Policy analysts and data analysts of Central American team of Haiti
