Cuba will receive machinery to mitigate climate problems

Havana, May 17 (RHC) A project supported by the United Nations will provide Cuba with machinery to improve the availability of water in municipalities with the greatest climate impacts, the FAO announced.

The supply of equipment responds to the project “Climate resilience in the agricultural ecosystems of Cuba”, implemented by the country's Ministry of Agriculture, with technical assistance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and financing from the Green Fund Climate Change (GCF).

Altogether, the initiative has 38 million dollars contributed by the GCF, with a view to developing agri-food systems that provide benefits for food and agriculture in seven municipalities highly affected by climate alterations.

The beneficiary districts are Los Arabos, in the province of Matanzas; Corralillo, Quemado de Güines and Santo Domingo, in the province of Villa Clara; and Amancio, Jobabo and Colombia in Las Tunas.

As detailed by the UN agency, the project will supply backhoes for the construction of reservoirs to store rainwater, with a view to irrigating crops for forestry and agroforestry systems, as well as for animal consumption.

The chosen locations lack enough water due to different phenomena, among them, the reduction and change in precipitation regime, the increase in evaporation, saline intrusion due to the increase in the average sea level, and other problems that reduce the availability and quality of water resources.

According to the FAO, the backhoes will facilitate cleaning tasks in the reservoir areas, earthworks, ground excavations, formation and compaction of slopes and the reservoir bed, among other activities necessary for the construction and rehabilitation of water infrastructures.

Its use will also help improve the efficiency and quality of work to guarantee adequate management of water resources in the agricultural communities benefited by the project.