Cuba among the countries most affected by climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently issued a report which states that Cuba is among the Latin America and Caribbean nations most affected by extreme weather events caused by climate change.

With Cuba, Mexico and Haiti made the top three most affected countries, experiencing some 110 storms, 5 thousand people killed, 29 million people affected, and over 39 billion in economic losses, the UN Agency stated.

The report adds that over the last two decades, some 152 million people from the region have been affected by over one thousand disasters, ranging from volcanic events, landslides, hurricanes, blazes, floodings, droughts, extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and storms.

According to the text, the Caribbean Basin is the second region in the world most likely to experience natural disasters.

It also states that by 2050, 2,5% of the Cuban archipelago territory will be permanently underwater, and 5,5% by 2100.

Cuban scientists anticipate that by the turn of the century, the island´s clime will be warmer and drier, with a possible increase of the average temperature from 2 to three degrees Celsius.

As part of its adaptation to climate change, the country is implementing the so-called Task Life, a state designed plan aimed at countering the phenomenon. Authorities are reporting progress in the identification of vulnerable regions, and adaptation actions are being implemented.