Cuban gov't approves plan to combat climate change

Cuba's government has approved a national plan to combat climate change, which it calls a threat to sustainable development, state daily Granma reported on Friday.

"Aiming to counter the possible damage to our country from climate change over the next few years, the Council of Ministers approved ... a state plan to tackle the phenomenon," said the report.

Climate change "is exacerbating and is going to exacerbate environmental problems, becoming a decisive factor in sustainable development," it said, citing Minister of Science, Technology and Environment Elba Rosa Perez Montoya.

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Charley in 2004, the Caribbean state has stepped up scientific studies on the risks associated with global warming, laying the groundwork for a "megaproject" to safeguard the island's coastal communities.

Dubbed "Life Task," the national plan foresees "progressive investment" in the short to long term, 2020 through 2100, on measures to protect the island from and to adapt to climate change.

Some of the concrete measures outlined in the plan include banning the construction of new housing or settlements along the coast, reducing crop cultivation near coasts, promoting the efficient use of water in case of drought, and designing reforestation programs for the maximum protection of soil from erosion.

Global warming not only raises average temperatures, but also leads to more severe weather events, such as powerful hurricanes, nine of which have hit Cuba since 2001. Endi