Havana hosts 12th Environmental Management Congress

HAVANA, Cuba, July 4 (ACN) As part of the activities of the International Convention on Environment and Development, the 12th Congress on Environmental Management was held at the Havana Convention Center.

The event aimed at exchanging experiences to prevent and mitigate the negative environmental impacts caused by productive and service activities.

Hydraulic researcher and engineer Jorge Mario Garcia Rodriguez gave a keynote address on water management in river basins and the impact of climate change on them.

He explained that 85 % of rivers are less than 40 kilometers long and have a basin area no larger than 200 square kilometers. There are 642 surface basins, 117 of which are regulated.

Garcia Rodriguez commented that approximately 67 % of Cuba's geology features karst phenomena, and water availability depends on rainfall and the occurrence of extreme events.

Regarding the impact of climate change, the expert said that it will generate negative effects that will manifest themselves with a greater relative impact on the quantitative availability of water resources and deterioration in their quality.

Actions to protect the country's water resources are primarily related to the banks of rivers, streams, and reservoirs, with a comprehensive reforestation plan for the banks of reservoirs and the riverbanks of rivers and streams, he specified, and that forested areas constitute the vital link between the land uses of the basin and the water current system or water body.

During the working sessions of the Environmental Management Congress, presentations related to the integrated management of natural resources, challenges for Cuba in confronting climate change, plastic pollution, and the restoration of coastal systems will be presented.