Mountain Partnership

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Cuba

National Committee

The National Committee for the International Year of Mountains in Cuba was set up by the National Commission in February 2001. The Focal Point was Fidel Ramos Perera, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission. The National Committee was comprised of the following members:

Government

Comisión Nacional Turquino-Manati
Ministery of Science and Technology
Ministery of Economy and Planning
Ministery of Finance and Costs
State Forestry Service
Cultivos Varios y Ganaderia del Ministerio de la Agricultura
Cuerpo de Guardabosque
Mountain Faculty of the Ministry of Higher Education

Research

Instituto Agroforestal de Montaña
Insituto de Suelos

Civil society

Grupo Empresarial Agricultura de Montaña

Activities before the International Year of Mountains

A research project was initiated in 2001 on 'The ecological impact of migratory agriculture on a few environmental indicators in a mountain ecosystem'.

Activities and Achievements during the International Year of Mountains

International

The 'Regional Conference on Mountains for Latin America and the Caribbean' (Pinar del Rio, 29-31 May promoted the exchange of information and cooperation on mountain development issues in the region.

Interregional:

Cuba worked collaboratively with Honduras on mountain development issues.

National

Important links were set up between the International Year of Mountains and the International Year of Freshwater (2003) in Cuba. The country developed a programme of fact-finding expeditions to the mountain sources of 295 rivers. This was undertaken not only to create public awareness of the source of freshwater but also to evaluate its conservation status, meet the needs of local populations and develop recommendations for the care and protection of river sources in the country.

As a joint initiative to mark International Year of Mountains and the International Year of Freshwater a special reforestation project was begun, aimed at replanting 37 thousand hectares by the end of the year and also at protecting water resources, in particular reinforcing the banks of Cuba's largest river, the Rio Cauto.

In the four mountain massifs of Cuba, a total of more than 20 000 activities were organized to mark International Year of Mountains, including book festivals, a film and video festival, theatre festivals, competitions for children, a Day of Mountain Culture, a Day of Indigenous Culture in Villa Clara and a poetry festival in Guantánamo.

Educational:

In schools throughout the country educational computer tools and videos were distributed to teach children about mountain issues.

Research

Several research projects were carried out in mountain areas, addressing issues of production/socio-economic and environmental issues.

Publications

Las montañas de Cuba, transformaciones, situación actual y acciones para el desarrollo sostenible en los finales del siglo XX, (May 2002).

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