Cuba

The Republic of Cuba, formed by the main island and its archipelago, is a small Caribbean island state. Like all SIDS, (Small Island Developing States), it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In recent decades, the incidence of extreme weather phenomena has increased, such as droughts, floods, hurricanes that, together with the rise in sea level, put the natural heritage and urban settlements at risk.

The National Plan for Combating Climate Change and Environmental Risk Management, approved by the Cuban Government in spring 2017, known as "Tarea Vida", lists 5 strategic actions and 11 priority areas of intervention to face the main challenges posed by the effects of climate change.

The collaboration on environmental matters between the then Ministry of the Environment, land and Sea of the Italian Republic, (MATTM), and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the Republic of Cuba, (CITMA), began in 2017, with the signing, in Havana, of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation regarding climate change vulnerability, risk management, adaptation and mitigation.

The Protocol addressed some of the priorities referred to in the "Tarea Vida" Plan. In particular, through bilateral cooperation activities, the following are underway: the creation of a study on the assessment of risks associated with floods and extreme events and the preparation of a plan for making safe the Malecon, the famous seafront of the capital; the use of high-resolution remote sensing radar images to strengthen the ability of the Cuban meteorological system to predict wind patterns and wave motion; the development of a mapping of marine habitats for monitoring coastal biodiversity; the creation of an atlas of sea currents to identify areas with the greatest potential, as a source of renewable energy.

In November 2022, on the sidelines of CoP27 held in Sharm el Sheikh, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, (CITMA) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable development, which aims to broaden the scope and area of activity of the previous Protocol, renewing the means of implementation and strengthening the monitoring and control procedures.

UNDP: opening of the feasibility study tender in Cuba The UNDP has just published the call for the expression of interest in the realization of the "Feasibility study, Malecon engineering solutions". The study is part of the cooperation that our Ministry has with Cuba, referring in particular to the project: Feasibility study on central coast front of the city of Havana: adaptation proposals before the climate change challenges which was funded by MASE with € 1,856,184.00 and which UNDP is the implementing body.

Italy-Cuba cooperation, MASE technical-institutional mission in Havana from 20 to 24 March First meeting after the memorandum signed at CoP27 ROME March 30, 2023. Following the signing of the new MoU on Sustainable Development with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), MASE carried out a first technical-institutional mission to Cuba to carry out the First Meeting of the Joint Committee (JC1) which having regard to the approval of the governance documents of the Agreement: Rules of Procedure and Guiding Principles for the Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism.

Counterpart: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the Republic of Cuba (CiTMA)

Intervention areas:

• Improve the water resources management and protect water-related ecosystems (SDG 6);
• Promote access to sustainable, renewable and efficient energy (SDG7);
• Promote the adoption of conscious consumption patterns (SDG 12);
• Strengthen and coordinate efforts to combat global climate change and address its adverse effects, (SDG 13);
• Promote sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources (SDG 14);
• Protect, restore and enhance the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15);
• Increase international support for capacity building in developing countries (SDG 17)