Environmental Degradation and Vulnerability in Cuba

Abstract

The paper presents a review of what is known about environmental degradation and vulnerability in Cuba. It has sections on air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, decaying urban infrastructure, and hazards and disasters. It outlines some of the worst environmental abuses known to date: poor air quality in the City of Havana; water pollution in the Bay of Havana and the Almendares River; the multiple problems of the town of Nuevitas, a major industrial hub; the decline of the Cauto River basin; the growth of saline soils in eastern Cuba, Camaguey, Sancti Spiritus, and Pinar del Rio Provinces; lack of access to fresh water; decaying sewage systems; and the disastrous impact of these environmental degradations on public health and agricultural production.