By María Josefina Arce
The German non-governmental organization Oro Verde financed the international project Cuencas Verdes (Green Basins), which contemplated soil, water, biodiversity and community development conservation actions, aimed at reducing the effects of climate change.
The initiative was present in Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, as well as in eastern Cuba, specifically in the Jaguaní hydrographic system, the main sub-basin of the Toa River, the country's largest river.
The tributary covers areas of the center-north of the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, declared a World Natural Heritage Site in 2001.
Located in the provinces of Holguín and Guantánamo, the park is the most important protected natural area in Cuba, with the highest levels of biodiversity and endemism in the Antilles.
The project has been in line with the Cuban government's policy of protecting the environment and increasing human and environmental resilience in the face of climate change, a problem in today's world.
In 2023, the actions were completed in areas of the Guantanamo municipalities of Baracoa and Yateras and the municipality of Moa in Holguín, with remarkable results, highlighted by the German Foundation.
Among the achievements is the increase in vegetation cover, the creation of agricultural and vegetable seed banks, as well as the installation of four automatic weather stations.
Located in Taco Bay, Baracoa, Cupeyal del Norte and Ojito de Agua, in Yateras, and La Melba, in Moa, these stations cover 75% of the surface of Alejandro de Humboldt National Park and make it possible to record temperature, relative humidity and wind intensity, among other variables.
Another valuable contribution of the project was the training in biodiversity management of 98 inhabitants of the interior areas of Jaguaní and the deployment of actions for the control and prevention of illegal activities related to natural resources.
The development of this initiative adds to the measures adopted by Cuban authorities to preserve the environment and the lives of its citizens in the midst of a changing climate.
