Cuba - Main Details

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Status and Trends of Biodiversity

Overview

Cuba has a large variety of ecosystems (42 types) and landscapes (23 types), ranging from arid and semiarid lands to humid tropical forests and mountains. Plains cover 75% of the territory, whereas mountains cover 18% and humid coastal lands cover the remaining 4%. Cuba is, the principal center of evolution and speciation in the Antilles, as well as one of the most important islands worldwide for biodiversity. The country counts 6,519 species of vascular plants and an estimated 26,953 animal species, mainly invertebrate, out of which 16,516 are known. Cuba also has a high level of endemics thanks to its extreme climate conditions, its diversity of habitat, its geologic evolution and its geographic isolation. As such, approximately 50% of plant and 42% of animal species can only be found in Cuba. Of the 612 vertebrate species, endemics include 15 mammals, 91 reptiles, 43 amphibians, 23 fish and 22 birds. Approximately 10% of the total fauna and 2% of the vascular plants are considered at risk or endangered. As it has been happening in other developing countries, the biodiversity of Cuba has been declining due to the modification of natural habitats.

Number and Extent of Protected Areas

The system of protected areas for Cuba includes 263 areas, 80 of which have a national importance and 183 are important locally.

National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan

Major features of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The National Biodiversity Strategy will contribute, through implementation of actions and jurisdictional ordinance, to the integration of environmental policies and the development, in a manner that strengthens the recognition of the value, use, rational management and conservation of the biological diversity, based on the fair and equitable distribution of the costs and benefits derived from its use. The State, in view of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other international treaties, developed 12 guiding principles. The principles are broken down into 11 basic objectives, each of which has several actions and objectives to be met and implemented. These objectives include such things as: conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; economic, social and regional ordinance development; and environmental education, sensitization and public participation. Cuba has revised its Biodiversity Action Plan for the period 2006-2010 through updates to the actions related to the 11 basic objectives described in the original document.

Implementation of the Convention

Measures Taken to Achieve the 2010 Target

The National Environmental Strategy of Cuba is being adapted to a new strategic cycle from 2005 to 2010, with measurable targets, which incorporates most of the 2010 biodiversity targets. The protection of areas of particular importance to biodiversity is being incorporated into different plans and programmes, in particular through the National System of Protected Areas. The National Programme for the Management and Conservation of Turtles in Cuba is one of the different actions taken to promote the conservation of species diversity. Actions to be developed have been identified to guarantee the sustainable use of biological resources. Since 1990, when Cuba became a Party to CITES, institutional and legal frameworks have been created to control the international trade of endangered wild flora and fauna. The loss of biodiversity as well as soil degradation, pollution and inadequate management of waters, are among the five main environmental problems in Cuba. It is worth mentioning that Cuba does not foresee importing genetic resources and, although this is not included in the national programmes and strategies, the Law No. 81 considers the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources as an environmental principle.

Initiatives in Protected Areas

Cuba has a national system on protected areas (SNAP 2003-2008), which aims, among other things, at covering at least 90% of all types of identified natural landscapes. The approval of the 201 Decree Law in 1999 is the most relevant measure taken by Cuba in order to legally establish a system or network of protected areas. In 2004, 35 new protected areas were approved and 23 additional ones were in the process of being approved. Developing training in all levels and components of the national system on protected areas is one of the strategic decisions of Cuba’s SNAP. Taking into account other international methodologies, Cuba has developed, and is actively applying, a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of protected area management.

Initiatives for Article 8(j)

Cuba has several programmes related to traditional knowledge. The rules on environmental impact assessment cover the cultural, environmental and social aspects in general and, although no special distinction is made with respect to settlements of local communities, there is a harmony between this process and the Akwé:Kon guidelines. Although the Akwé:Kon guidelines are not being applied in every project, there are some national experiences related to the participation of the local communities in the assessment of the impact on biodiversity. The National Forest Fund (FONAFED) is a mechanism to pay for reforestation and conservation actions, being also a source of employment for the local communities. The Green Map initiative (Mapa Verde) helps communities in finding solutions to their environmental problems (biodiversity, water resources, etc.). Financial support has been given to local communities for the formulation of their development plans. Not having indigenous communities, Cuba gives special attention to the knowledge of certain groups that conserve biological diversity and transmit such knowledge from parents to children. Cuba’s social system encourages the full active participation of women in all sectors of society

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