Extreme weather conditions have increased the vulnerability of agricultural ecosystems in the country: forest fires are a constant threat, increasing soil deforestation, loss of biodiversity and vegetation cover, the agency said.

Faced with the imminent risk, the Cuban government is deploying various initiatives, including the IRES project (Climate Resilience in Cuba’s Agricultural Ecosystems), with technical assistance from FAO and financing from the Green Climate Fund.

According to FAO, the IRES anticipatory actions focus on the seven municipalities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change: Corralillo, Santo Domingo and Quemado de Güines in Villa Clara (central), Los Arabos in Matanzas (west) and Jobabo, Colombia and Amancio in the eastern province of Las Tunas.

The projects include community environmental education, the control of flammable materials and the installation of signs to protect forest and agroforestry systems that combine the cultivation of timber, fruit and shade trees with various crops and vegetables, the source explained.

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