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Environment & Sustainability Guide · Cuba

Environment & Sustainability Guide in Cuba

Air quality, green spaces, and environmental policies

Cuba faces significant environmental challenges due to its vulnerability to hurricanes and sea level rise, with stable air quality but limited data on PM levels. The country has strong commitments to biodiversity protection through extensive national parks covering over 20% of land, yet sustainability metrics like recycling and renewable energy remain underdeveloped with available data N/A. Climate change has intensified extreme weather, with temperatures rising approximately 0.5-1°C over the past 20 years and increased hurricane frequency impacting coastal areas.

Air Quality Index

0510

Good

7.0/10(AQI: N/A)

Stable trend

Cuba's air quality remains stable per 6-month trends, with limited nationwide AQI data available. Urban areas like Havana experience moderate pollution from traffic and industry, but overall levels are not hazardous. Government monitoring focuses on key pollutants, showing no significant worsening.

Water Quality

0510

Good

7.5/10

Cuba provides access to treated drinking water for about 98% of the population, though infrastructure challenges lead to intermittent supply and contamination risks from aging pipes. Rural areas have lower quality, with efforts underway to improve treatment standards.

Safe when boiled; urban chlorination effective but boil advisories common due to distribution issues.

Recycling System

Cuba's recycling infrastructure is limited, with informal collection systems in urban areas focusing on metals and paper. No national recycling rate data available; efforts are growing through community programs but lack comprehensive metrics.

Recycling Rate: —%

Green Spaces

Cuba protects about 21% of its land as forests and reserves, with 6 national parks and over 200 protected areas safeguarding biodiversity hotspots like wetlands and mountains.

Forest Coverage: 21.0%

National Parks: 6

Key sites include Alejandro de Humboldt National Park (UNESCO site) and Zapata Swamp, covering diverse ecosystems.

Environmental Policies

Cuba ratified the Paris Agreement and maintains strong biodiversity laws, with 25% land protected. Policies emphasize sustainable agriculture and renewable energy expansion.

Key Policies:

•Paris Agreement ratification (2017)
•National Biodiversity Strategy (2014-2020)
•Law 81 on Environment (1997)

Renewable Energy: Aim for 24% renewables by 2030, focusing on biomass and solar.

Natural Disaster Risk

HIGH

Cuba is highly prone to hurricanes, floods, and droughts, with robust civil defense systems mitigating impacts.

hurricanesfloodsdroughtsearthquakes

Climate Change Impacts: Temperatures have risen ~0.8°C since 1990, with increased hurricane intensity (e.g., Irma 2017 caused $13B damage). Extreme weather frequency up 20% in 20 years; sea levels rose 3-5mm/year, threatening 2M residents in lowlands. Precipitation patterns show wetter rainy seasons and drier dry periods, exacerbating floods/droughts.

Sustainability Initiatives

Renewable Energy

Cuba is expanding solar and biomass capacity, targeting 24% renewables by 2030 through distributed solar parks and bagasse cogeneration.

Biodiversity Protection

National system protects 22% of territory, including UNESCO sites, with community-based management for sustainable ecotourism.

Organic Agriculture

Promoting sustainable farming to reduce chemical inputs, with over 30% land converted to organic methods.

Wildlife & Nature

Cuban SolenodonEndangered

West Indian ManateeEndangered

Cuban CrocodileCritically Endangered

Bee HummingbirdNear Threatened

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