The strengthening of monitoring, surveillance and early warning systems was one of the essential topics discussed by Cuban experts in their new assessment of the State Plan for Climate Change Confrontation, popularly known as Task Life and one of the few such plans in existence.

The evaluation of one of its tasks, specifically number nine, relates to the systematic examination of the situation and quality of coastal zones, water, drought, forests, and human, animal and plant health, reported the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma), its main promoter, on its Facebook profile.

It added that the agenda included preparation for the international technical review process of its First Biennial Transparency Report on climate, consisting of an exchange of questions and answers in that regard, which will be conducted virtually and through working sessions.

This type of initiative responds to international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which hosts the Technical Annex of Forest Emission Reference Levels, as an essential part of the country’s climate action for future access to innovative financial mechanisms in this field.

Under the direction of Idalia López Pedroso, Deputy Minister of Citma, the representative of the National Institute of Territorial and Urban Planning spoke at the meeting about Resilient Settlements and the regional project of the United Nations Environment Programme on increasing resilience through nature-based solutions in Latin American cities.

The Council of Ministers approved the State Plan for Climate Change Confrontation on 25 April 2017, inspired by the thinking of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, when he expressed at the Earth Summit on 12 June 1992: «…An important biological species is at risk of disappearing due to the rapid and progressive liquidation of its natural living conditions: man…»