Expansão urbana da cidade de Gonaïves: análise das situações de vulnerabilidades socioambientais de 2005 a 2019

Abstract

The proposal of this master's research is to study urban sprawl in relation to situations of socio-environmental vulnerability, associated with the risk of flooding, which presents itself in the urban fabric of Gonaïves and can be understood in the historical-political relations and in the incessant economic inequality in Haiti, which makes the environment and the population of the urban area of Gonaïves more vulnerable during natural disasters. They are: (i) to study the urban configuration and Haitian urbanization in which the city of Gonaïves fits; (ii) to characterize the urban expansion, through historical process and factor analysis; (iii) to characterize the urban expansion, through center and periphery relationship analysis; (iv) to characterize the socio-environmental vulnerability, through factor analysis; (v) to map the urban expansion, in order to obtain the flood risk areas and destination zones of the urban population particularly from the great deadly catastrophes of 2004 and 2008 in the city and; (vi) to identify important variables and indicators to analyze the situations of socio-environmental vulnerabilities in the process of urban expansion of the city of Gonaïves. The important accelerated urban occupations in the highest parts of the city, after the floods of 2004 and 2008, in Gonaïves, where this urban expansion has been creating and enlarging unequal spaces, some being privileged as to geographical and topographical characteristics (high ground), while others are unfavorable, occupying the flat reliefs and below sea level. Both spaces suffer, constantly, with a deficit in urban infrastructure and drainage systems, with more and more dense and irregular residential buildings in terms of construction, in addition to soil sealing. Many times, these constructions are subject to natural disasters, mainly by heavy rainfall, contributing to the socio-environmental degradation of the city. The understanding of this urban expansion in Gonaïves, in relation to frequent flooding, socio-environmental vulnerabilities, and economic inequalities, becomes more than necessary to plan a more resilient and sustainable city for the urban population.