SANCTI SPIRITUS.—Cuba’s efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development were highlighted in this province in the context of a national event celebrating World Environment Day, June 5. Sancti Spíritus was selected to host the event for its comprehensive work in the 2012 period.
Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya, Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA) stated that in conjunction with the investment process and environmental projects running into the millions, fruit of an unquestionable political will, the period assessed is notable for the strengthening of institutionality, with the introduction of new legislation and regulatory bodies.
The Minister noted that, in spite of advances in this field, an increase of contamination has been recorded in various provinces, with planned investments to prevent poorly implemented and scant monitoring of waste produced.
During the event, also attended by José Ramón Monteagudo Ruiz, first secretary of the Communist Party in Sancti Spíritus, and Teresita Romero Rodríguez, president of the provincial Assembly of People's Power, Pérez Montoya praised the work of the province, selected to host the World Environmental Day event for the second time.
She mentioned the reduction of contaminants, the strengthening of the protected areas system, the increase of forested areas, and important studies on dangers, vulnerabilities and risks in distinct parts of the territory.
In a special address marking the celebration, Bárbara Pesce, UN resident coordinator and UNDP representative in Cuba, recalled than while one in every seven inhabitants of the planet go to bed hungry, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year.
The UNDP representative referred to successful cooperation experiences spanning more than 20 years in Cuba, particularly in Sancti Spíritus, in what she defined as "a varied spectrum of projects promoting the incorporation of the environmental dimension into productive sectors."
