CLIMATE CHANGE-CUBA:
Prized Wetland in
Danger
By Patricia Grogg*
CIÉNAGA DE ZAPATA, Cuba
(Tierramérica) - If the
worst outcomes predicted
for climate change in
Cuba become reality, a
large portion of the
Ciénaga de Zapata, the
largest and best
preserved wetland in the
islands of the Caribbean
Sea, could disappear by
the second half of this
century.
The Ciénaga de Zapata
provides habitat for
birds that are only
found in Cuba, like the
Zapata wren (Ferminia
cerverai), sparrow (Torreornis
inexpectata) and rail (Cyanolimnas
cerverai). It is
estimated that the marsh
holds 65 percent of
Cuba's birdlife, in
addition to 1,000 plant
species.
The area, dominated by
low plains, marshes and
semi-wetlands, with
savannah vegetation,
holds forests, rivers
and lakes, as well as 70
kilometres of caves in
which semicircular
freshwater lagoons have
formed, known in Spanish
as "cenotes".
But people who live less
than 40 metres from the
coast are not ready to
give up the pleasure of
being lulled to sleep by
the sound of the waves.
"People are resistant to
leaving. They like to
live near the sea,"
acknowledges Luis Lazo,
a delegate from the
citizen commission of
Caletón, a neighbourhood
near the water, where
waves nearly reach the
patios of the houses.
According to Lazo, so
far this century the
wetland has already
survived several
tropical cyclones and
hurricanes that have
thrashed this vast
municipality in Matanzas
province, which covers
4,520 square kilometres
and has fewer than
10,000 inhabitants.
The worst was Hurricane
Michelle, which hit on
Nov. 4, 2001, with winds
of 210 km/hour. "We
expected the water to
reach up to nine
kilometres inland from
Michelle's impact. That
was not the case, though
many houses were
destroyed and only the
evacuation of families
prevented the loss of
human lives," Lazo said
in a conversation with
Tierramérica.
Some experts believe the
greater intensity of the
hurricanes is a
consequence of global
climate change. "The
ocean is warmer than
before, and therefore
conditions are more
favourable to the
formation of tropical
cyclones of even greater
strength," says Tomás
Gutiérrez, director
general of the Cuban
Institute of
Meteorology.
Pablo Bouza, director of
the Ciénaga de Zapata
National Park, warns
that the combination of
hurricanes and drought
can lead to more fires,
as it did in 2007 with
fires lasting 45 days
and causing serious
damage to 5,000
hectares, 70 percent of
which was forest.
"The hurricanes leave a
great deal of
accumulated vegetation
on the ground, which
dries from the lack of
rain and becomes fuel
for fires, which spread
quickly when the marsh
is dry," said Bouza.
Experts are studying
prevention strategies to
minimise the effects of
fire under these new
circumstances.
Pressed by a threat that
is more or less
imminent,
environmentalists and
experts are carrying out
an offensive to raise
awareness and inform
citizens and authorities
in the region about
climate change and its
consequences.
"Last year we held three
workshops with the
participation of
community members and
representatives of
different economic and
social sectors. That way
we could design a
project with the main
problems and the
possible actions we
should develop," said
environmental management
expert Leyaní Caballero.
Although the climate
change adaptation
strategy is still being
elaborated and has not
yet been made public,
part of the action plan
is already being
implemented. "The people
don't realise how
vulnerable they are to
this problem, nor do
they know what they
should do. That's why
this year we are
bringing the discussion
to the neighbourhoods,"
she said.
Screenings of the film
"Climate Change: The
Challenge Continues", or
presentations by experts
precede each
neighbourhood debate.
The idea, says
Caballero, is for people
to perceive the risk and
to understand that the
marsh needs to be
managed in a rational
and sustainable way.
According to scientific
projections, the sea
level of the Cuban
archipelago could rise
eight to 44 centimetres
by 2050, or 20 to 95 cm
by 2100. Water that high
would reduce the land
area of Ciénaga de
Zapata by one-fifth.
A sea level rise of just
30 cm would also
threaten freshwater
sources because the
inflow of saltwater
would contaminate the
wetland reserves, while
causing great harm to
the flora and fauna.
Average temperatures
would also see
significant increases,
intensifying droughts
and making the climate
drier in general, with
notable effects on the
ecosystem, which was
declared a Biosphere
Reserve in 2000 and an
internationally
important wetland under
the Ramsar Convention in
2001.
(*Originally published
by Latin American
newspapers that are part
of the Tierramérica
network. Tierramérica is
a specialised news
service produced by IPS
with the backing of the
United Nations
Development Programme
and the United Nations
Environment Programme.) |
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