The initiative will strengthen coastal resilience by improving the availability and quality of water, the healthcare and welfare of communities in areas highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as droughts, floods and soil salinization.

The program coordinator in Ciego de Avila, Alejandro Gonzalez, pointed out that the scheme financed by the Cuban Government and the Green Climate Fund will benefit the settlement of Jucaro, in the municipality of Venezuela.

He explained that there they will work on the rehabilitation of wetlands, the restoration of mangrove strips, the recovery of grasslands and swamp forests, and the monitoring of saline intrusion in order to minimize damages caused by waves and strong winds.

The project, which is part of the so-called Tarea Vida (Life Task), is a program implemented by the Cuban State to face climate change. It involves government and state institutions in the different tasks to restore the functionality of the environment and protect the inhabitants in the event of natural disasters.

Gonzalez pointed out that the eight-year project will benefit the inhabitants of seven coastal settlements and 24 municipalities in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Mayabeque, Artemisa, Ciego de Avila, Camagüey, Las Tunas and Granma.

jg/abo/mem/nmt