VARADERO, Matanzas.— The restoration of sand dunes located in the Villa Cuba sector of Varadero figures among the most important works being carried out to restore and protect the beach resort, famous for its stunning beach.
According to Oscar Luis Martínez, director general of the Matanzas Center for Environmental Services, the works entail some 18,000 cubic meters of sand being spread over a 1,000 meter area.
The goal is to reconstruct the dune (natural beach defense) which is in a bad state on this stretch of beach, between streets A and K, one of the border areas which sees high levels of tourist activity.
Another project related to environmental protection is that of delineating the dune in the International Hotel, a work requiring around 14,000 cubic meters of sand; taken from Varadero beach and the Paso Malo Canal.
New investment and projects aim to extend the dune out to 30th street where the El Caney eatery is located.
Luis Martínez explained that by fortifying the dune, sand is reserved, which can be used in moments of extreme erosion, to act as buffer against the tide and minimizing its erosive effects.
Workers at Arentur Enterprise in Varadero are responsible for reconstructing the dune and its subsequent maintenance. Arentur’s contribution is vital to the restoration of the beach, noted Martínez.
So far an important strip of beach has been reforested with various species of trees. Likewise 3 kilometers of shoreline has been restructured.
With a budget of over 1,300,000 pesos, the Center for Environmental Services is also working on a definitive solution to the problem of critical erosion affecting certain areas of the beach and hotels such as Iberostar Varadero, Tuxpan-Bella Costa, Punta Blanca and Meliá Varadero, among others.
On the other hand footbridges, fences and containment barriers are being built in order to protect the dunes.
Beach conservation is also benefiting from educational training for investors, constructors and tourism workers on issues related to the functioning and use of this precious costal area.
There is a clear willingness to protect the so called Playa Azul given the fact that it is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, a quality which must be sustained, thus the need for these systematic maintenance works part of a program being carried out by the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) and that of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma).
