Cuba’s Reforestation Program

In the news this week are reports of the success of Cuba’s reforestation program.  According to the National Office of Statistics and Information’s report, “Environmental Outlook: Cuba 2015,”  Cuba’s total landmass covered by forest accounts for 30.6% of landmass.  This figure represents an increase from 2010 numbers.

Forests in Cuba now make up 30.6% of the country’s land area, thanks to a reforestation initiative carried out by the socialist government, a new report has found.

Titled Environmental Outlook: Cuba 2015, the National Office of Statistics and Information report details recent improvements in Cuba’s forest coverage, up from 27.6% in 2010.

Cuba started the reforestation program in 1998. It is part of a select group of developing countries that have been able to maintain sustained forest growth.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2011 said that Cuba has the highest proportion of its forest designated for protective functions in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Before Spanish colonization, Cuba was estimated to have forest coverage of 90%. At the time of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, only 14% of Cuba was thought to be covered in forest. Both the foreign-owned timber and sugarcane industries played significant roles in destroying much of Cuba’s lush forest areas.

Increased forest coverage has been proven to help fight against pollution, improve air quality and health for humans and animals. Deforestation is a major contributor to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Source:  TeleSUR English

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Share
Published by
Cuba Business Report Staff

Recent Posts

Cuba Joins the BRICS New Development Bank

In a move with both economic and geopolitical significance, Cuba has officially joined the New…

1 week ago

Cuba’s International Tourist Arrivals—June 2025

Cuba’s tourism sector, long a vital part of the island’s economy, is experiencing mixed fortunes…

2 weeks ago

Cuba Amplifies Voice of the Global South at BRICS 2025 in Brazil

Cuba took center stage at the 17th BRICS 2025 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend,…

1 month ago

FIHAV 2025 Set for this November

Cuba has confirmed the 41st edition of the Havana International Fair (FIHAV 2025) will take…

1 month ago

WestJet CEO Meets with Cuban President Amid Hopes for Expansion of Passenger Flights to Havana

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech met Wednesday with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana, a high-level meeting…

2 months ago

Cuba Expands Solar Parks as Energy Deficits Persist

Cuba is ramping up efforts to address energy shortages through the expansion of photovoltaic solar…

2 months ago