Hti: Deforestation contibuted to flooding crisis

MAPOU, Haiti - Named after a sacred tree in the Voodoo religion, this Haitian village has few remaining mapou trees and a scant number of others on its surrounding mountains.

When floods tore through town last week, many survived by clinging to roots, branches and trunks - but it was the overall absence of trees that made the onslaught so deadly. At least 1,700 people died, half in the area around Mapou.

"We know we need trees, but we also need to eat and to cook," 87-year-old Philis Milfort said.

With no tree roots to hold soil on the mountains, the torrential rain water barreled down unchecked, collecting silt, gravel and boulders that slammed into villages. There, the floodwaters gathered new weapons in the form of aluminum roofs and other debris.

More than 90 percent of Haiti is deforested, in large part because most of its 8 million people use charcoal to cook. There's no electricity outside major cities and towns.

Government leaders met Wednesday, looking for ways to protect the environment as activists held a telethon to raise money for victims. Aid workers warned hundreds of villagers remain at risk from dams that could burst if a hurricane strikes.