Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Camagüey, May 29th. - Camagüey celebrates World Environment Day, which has been commemorated since 1973 every 5 June by decision of the United Nations, standing out at the national level for its advances in environmental protection and management.
Dr. Lisbet Font Vila, delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in the province, highlighted at a press conference the achievements achieved in 2024. These include advances in science and innovation, the consolidation of 55 environmental targets that improve indicators in sustainable management of natural resources and resilience to climate change.
Progress has been made in the National Soil Conservation and Improvement Programme, increasing the protected agricultural area by 58.4 thousand hectares. In terms of water, 62.43 per cent (%) of the population receives safe and managed water, and 80.5 per cent of wastewater is treated efficiently. In addition, the loss of the precious liquid was avoided through the rehabilitation of networks in Nuevitas, Florida, Esmeralda and Vertientes, and the construction of two kilometers of air driver in Saint Lucia.
The forest cover index in the province increased to 27.06 per cent, with more than 400 thousand hectares of forests. Twelve forest management projects have been implemented with an investment of 202.9 million pesos. No forest fires were reported, thanks to preventive actions. 272 hectares of mangroves were also recovered and the actions of the Mi Costa project are advancing with the construction of two nurseries in Santa Cruz del Sur and Florida to strengthen the protection of the mangrove ecosystem on the south coast.
Camagüey has 24 protected areas, representing 33.25% of its territory, in compliance with national targets. In innovation, the use of fertomil, a biofertilizer that replaces approximately 7.55 thousand tons of polluting chemical fertilizers, stands out.
In international project management, the province is advancing on programmes such as Coastal Resilience and Euroclimate, which integrate disaster risk management, adaptation to climate change and reduce vulnerabilities in coastal municipalities. Hydrometeorological and drought monitoring and early warning systems are also strengthened.
Challenges for Camagüey’s scientific community include the updating of hazard studies, vulnerabilities and technological risks, as well as the incorporation of innovative methodologies to improve decision-making, especially in flood situations and extreme events in places such as Santa Rita in the municipality of Nuevitas.
The province has also designed and implemented a surveillance and early warning system for various beaches and coastal areas, including Cayo Cruz, Cayo Sabinal, Santa Lucía, Puerto Piloto, Playa Florida, Santa Cruz del Sur, La Mula and La Guanaja. In addition, the Atlas Web project of Camaguey is being developed, which already has 68 cartographic products and a digital platform for consultation. (Zenia Donet García/Radio Cadena Agramonte) (Photos by the author and taken from the Internet)
