Good practice examples for disaster risk reduction in Cuban Agriculture

TCP/ RLA/3101

Good practice examples for disaster risk reduction in Cuban Agriculture

Final project report

Assistance to Improve Local Agricultural
Emergency Preparedness

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Rome 2009

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not imply any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO.

ABSTRACT

The vulnerability of the Caribbean region to hydro- meteorological hazards such as hurricanes, floods, drought, high magnitude rainfall and related hazards such landslides is underscored. The recurrent impacts of these events have wreaked havoc on environment, economy and society throughout the region. Although the contribution of agriculture to Caribbean regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has steadily declined over the last two decades, this sector has remained a major employer of labour and as such a main player in the livelihood profile of the region. The extreme vulnerability of the agricultural sector to a variety of hazards/disaster has been a perpetual focus of hazard/disaster management and interventions in the Caribbean. Over the past decade, the FAO has regular responded to the relief/rehabilitation/reconstruction needs of the sector in the aftermath of hurricane-related disasters. While such response and rehabilitation interventions are important, the extent of devastation caused to the agricultural sector by the 2004-2005 hurricane seasons stresses the need to move from a reactive to a proactive mode in order to facilitate more long term and sustainable benefits form interventions. It is in recognition of the immense negative impact of the 2004 hurricane season on the agricultural landscape of the Caribbean region and in response to the urgent call for assistant from regional policy makers, that the FAO funded the regional project Assistance to improve local agricultural emergency preparedness in Caribbean countries highly prone to hydro-meteorological hazards/disasters.

CONTENTS

Part I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LIST OF ACRONYMS

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Main Goal and Outputs envisaged by the regional project
1.2 Project Implementation Strategy in Cuba

2 NATIONAL CONTEXT OF DRM IN CUBA
2.1 Geographical Location
2.2 Background
2.3 Current situation

Part II
3 CONSOLIDATION OF GOOD PRACTICES ADOPTED IN CUBA

REFERENCES