How can multi-dimensional problems be solved by sustainability? In the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, a doctor named Paul Farmer tries to answer this question by starting a health center in Haiti. Farmer soon realizes that some of the physical obstacles that the Haitian people live with on a daily basis, are nearly impossible to change. By analyzing what caused the problems Haiti faces, he sees the history of the Péligre Dam as a tool of prevention for future dilemmas. Farmer learns a great deal about how the choices of outside influences, such as the United States government, negatively impact the lives of the Haitian people. An example of this is the Péligre Dam, which was originally built to help agribusiness be more sustainable in the area. It may be easy for some to think of sustainability as recycling bottles and not littering fast food bags on the side of the road, but the environmental issues concerning the dam in Mountains Beyond Mountains are far more complex.
The Péligre Dam originated from an alliance between the United States government and a Haitian dictator in the 1950s. What stemmed from this political alliance proved to be detrimental to multiple generations of Haitian people as well as the local environment. The dam was planned by the United …show more content…
The lives of the Haitian people who lived near the river were thrown into a state of instability. Before the Péligre Dam, farming by the Artibonite river proved to be successful because of the rich soil and availability of water. The past stability of the environment helped the farmers profit from their land which helped the economy prosper. Not only did the Haitians have financial gains, their quality of life was much better. The successful farms ensured that everyone was well fed, therefore improving the overall well-being of those living in that
The Péligre Dam originated from an alliance between the United States government and a Haitian dictator in the 1950s. What stemmed from this political alliance proved to be detrimental to multiple generations of Haitian people as well as the local environment. The dam was planned by the United …show more content…
The lives of the Haitian people who lived near the river were thrown into a state of instability. Before the Péligre Dam, farming by the Artibonite river proved to be successful because of the rich soil and availability of water. The past stability of the environment helped the farmers profit from their land which helped the economy prosper. Not only did the Haitians have financial gains, their quality of life was much better. The successful farms ensured that everyone was well fed, therefore improving the overall well-being of those living in that