Cuba launches climate resilience project at COP28

Cuba launched on Friday the IRES project, dedicated to climate resilience in rural communities, at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Cuba’s Pavilion provides details of the project since its launch in 2021 and the work developed with children and adolescents to motivate their families to protect the environment.

IRES, planned for a seven-year project, is implemented by Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture with technical assistance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and financing from the Green Climate Fund.

It works on the rehabilitation of productive landscapes in seven of the municipalities deemed most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with actions such as clearing the fields invaded of sicklebush (marabú for Cubans) and establishing Agricultural and Forestry, and Forestry and Pastoral modules in food production.

The project aims to reduce approximately 2.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and introduce better Agricultural and Forestry practices on 35,000 hectares of land.

IRES is the first project in Cuba supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). GCF approved a 119 million-dollar climate resilient project for Cuba.