UN Praises Cuban Program for the Management of Mountainous Areas

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 7 (acn) The secretary of the UN Mountain Alliance Program, a Rome-based voluntary coalition, Rosalaura Romeo stressed the Cuban Program for the management of mountainous areas, known here as Turquino-Manati Plan.

The expert said that the Cuban program offers very valuable experience for the efficient development of mountainous areas, given its high economic, social and environmental values.
Cuba is a founding member of Mountain Alliance, which was set up in 2002 during the Johannesburg Earth Summit, but long time before the island had developed a comprehensive management program that should be emulated, the expert said.
Romeo said that over the years, her alliance has used the Cuban program as a good example of mountain management, which empowers the local population by given it a key and leading role in the development of mountainous zones.
The Turquino-Managi program, born in 1987 not only includes 18 percent of all Cuban mountainous areas, but also other zones considered as strategic. In all it expands through 50 municipalities and benefits some 700 thousand people in 10 Cuban mountainous areas.
In 1987, the Cuban government also set up the Reforestation System, known as Manati Plan in western Cuba. It aims at preserving the environment and developing timber sources and forests.