HAVANA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- About 82 percent of Cuba's 500 sandy beaches have shown signs of erosion, warned an Environment Ministry expert on Monday.
Odalys Goicochea, the department's environment director, said the Caribbean island is seeing the beach coastline decline by an average of 1.2 meters per year.
She stressed that for many years, structures have been built along sand dunes, contributing to the destruction and deterioration of the beaches.
Goicochea highlighted the government's "Life Task" plan approved last April to reverse these conditions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The project contains 11 missions aimed at counteracting the effects of erosion in vulnerable areas, such as banning building new houses in coastal settlements and reducing the cultivation of fields near the coast.
Tourism is Cuba's second largest source of income. The new plan also takes this into consideration, outlining how the construction of hotels must seek to mitigate or prevent erosion.
The project also includes efforts to halt the deterioration of coral reefs, as well as other programs related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, food security, health and sustainable tourism.
