In this island 3,500 miles (5,630 km) of coastline, Cuban scientists studying climate change impacts, their findings are shocking is officials did not share the results with the public to avoid panic.
Scientists project that sea level rise will seriously damage the 122 Cuban cities and towns, and even wipe the map. Beach would be submerged, they found that will be affected, and freshwater resources and arable land rendered infertile. Seawater penetration into 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) inland low-lying areas, oceans rising to 2100 nearly 3 feet (85 cm).
Climate change may be in the political debate on Capitol Hill, but for the low-lying Cuba, those terrible act calculated to promote the body. For decades the Cuban government to change course haphazard coastal development, which threatens the dunes and mangrove swamps, provide the best natural protection against sea level rise.
In recent months, inspectors and staff have started fanning the demolition of the entire island's plan raze thousands of homes, restaurants, hotels and improvised pier in the game to restore most of the coast close to the natural state of things.
"The government realized that an island like Cuba, long and thin, protecting the coast, is a matter of national security," said Jorge Alvarez, the Cuban Government Environmental Control and Inspection Center.
At the same time, Cuba had to take into account living in endangered homes and $ 250 million U.S. dollars, a year tourism industry, which is its No. 1 source of foreign income for families.
This is a difficult, challenging the entire Caribbean resorts and private homes often have popped up a lot of places without any forethought. Planning and environmental law enforcement is often spotty.
With its coastal towns and cities, the Caribbean region's most dangerous climate change. Hundreds of villages threatened by rising sea levels and more frequent and stronger hurricanes in Haiti and elsewhere have been devastated agriculture.
In Cuba, the report predicts that century, the sea level will rise by nearly 3 feet.
"Depends on a number of factors, different countries are fragile coastline and coastal development looks like," said Dan Whittle, Cuba in New York nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund's project director. He said the study's figures seem to Cuba with other scientists in the region consistent with the prediction. AP Exclusive access to the report, but not keep a copy.
Guanabo Havana residents known for its soft sand, gentle waves 15 miles (25 km), east of the capital, a popular holiday trip a recent morning, Cuba is prepared on clear display.
Barracks have been demolished, re-stabilize the ivy vines are called sand beach morning glory, reaffirm themselves in the sand dunes, a lavender flowering time.
A former swimming school near the demolition was halted due to lack of planning and building rubble leave it as it lay. Now, the inspector must figure out how to fix the mess, no further environmental damage.
Alvarez said the government has learned from early mistakes and be more cautious. Officials are also considering engineering solutions, and even decide whether some buildings might as well be left alone.
Three decades, the residents of Guanabo Felix Rodriguez live any visitor to the Caribbean dream: waves gently lap against the sand just steps waking, salty breeze blowing through the window and barking gull wow They glide through the clear blue sky. Now, heaven might not.
"Sea has gradually become closer," said Rodriguez, a 63-year-old retiree, pointing to his apartment building to the water line a few steps away. "30 years ago, which is 30 meters (33 yards) and farther."
"We all want to live next to the sea, but it's dangerous ...... very dangerous," Rodriguez said. "When the hurricane comes, everyone here will disappear."
Cuban officials agreed, and notify him and the other 11 families in the building, they will be relocated, but no date has been set. Rodriguez and several other residents said they did not mind, given the danger.
Since 2000, Cuba has a coastal protection laws on the books, prohibiting sand and mandate a 130 ft (40 m) wide buffer zone from the top of a dune construction. Structural measures have been granted a stay of execution before, but not for maintenance, and will eventually be torn down, once they uninhabitable.
In recent months, law enforcement really began in earnest, as officials armed risk assessment.
Has been handed down some of the sanctions and penalties 10,000 illegal development, according to Alvarez. Demolitions are still limited to resort attachment, social clubs, military facilities and other public buildings, rather than private residences.
"Has taken measures less strict with the masses," said Alvarez, recognition of community relocation is tough, serious lack of adequate housing in the country.
A flash point is the powdery white sand beach resort of Varadero, two hours' drive east of the capital, where the lucrative hotel thousands of visitors every year attracts hundreds of participants from Canada, Europe and Latin the Americas.
About 900 coastal structures have an average annual contribution of shoreline erosion about 4 feet (1.2 meters), according to geologists 阿丹祖尼加 Cuban coastal ecosystems, research centers, a government agency. Dunes establish a solid structure, making them more vulnerable to waves.
"These are violent erosion processes, Zuniga said:" on regional development. "In many places, the beach back 16 feet (5 meters) of the year."
Varadero Cuba symbolizes the dilemma:, removal beachfront restaurant, a picturesque pool and air-conditioned hotel room, threatening hundreds of millions of dollars in annual tourism revenue, but let them stay, threatening beaches , draw in the first place.
Cuban officials have tried to avoid, select Varadero, by supplementing the lost sand to do the same in Coconut Island Resort next year's plan. But added the beach is a costly remedy, Cuba can be less affordable nationwide. Zuniga said, costing 3-8 yuan per cubic meter, and a single beach may contain one million cubic meters of sand.
This measure is still necessary despite the resort's chief development and environmental mitigation measures, such as keeping the tree line behind the hotel and operation of the hydraulic system to keep water circulating normal inland lagoon.
How many structures have been or will be razed to the ground, the entire Cuban has no public figure. Alvarez and Zuniga said officials are assessing the situation problematic buildings by-case basis, taking into account local economic development needs.
They say that nothing is off-limits, even symbolically Hotel Internacional Hotel, four-story resort, built in 1950, the brothers and sisters in Miami Fontainebleau, have been doomed to demolition Varadero on a particular day.
Other devices have been gradually moving inland, and government officials imposed strict supervision, in the new building, they said. In May this year, the authorities launched nearly completed hotel Melia Bin and Yacht Club, which is a safe remove from the sea.
Cuban Communist Party government wields a unique advantage, no other country in the region claim: The Government and its subsidiaries control the entire island hotel stocks, and sometimes co-management with minority foreign partners. Cuba's military Seagull Group three or more individual control 12 major hotels.
Therefore, when a government determined to tear down the hotel, it can do so without having to worry about fighting a lengthy court battle displaced owners.
The most important thing is to oversee coastal initiatives may occur at the highest level: the Cuban State Council President Raul Castro led the ruling.
"He is leading this battle," Alvarez said Castro.
Whittle said that Costa Rica, protection, even booming tourism industry has been significantly large tracts of coastal and inland areas of the terrain, the island can learn something. Cuba, a lot riding on the proper balance.
"Cuba will become a goal of sustainable development such as Costa do?" Whittle asked. "Will go the way of Cancun and many natural areas have basically sacrificed, marine and coastal ecosystems, for economic development in the short term the rest of the Caribbean?"
 



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