The figure 13 shows the distribution of grass and forest areas in the coastal municipalities in a range up to 1 m high. It is very significant the presence of natural forests with a greater representation of mangrove, typical of a sensitive ecosystem.
At present, in some low zones of the country there is shoreline retreat causing death of the mangroves, a phenomenon that would intensify with the scenario of the sea- level rise.
Drought in coastal zone
Today the desertification and drought affect the 14% of country and these phenomena are developing in areas of dry and subhumid environments.
In coastal zones with natural desertification problems, human activity hase reduced the quality of soils and water, as well as the production of food.
The desertification process is more severe in the south coast of the most eastern region of the country, 55% of coastal municipalities are affected by it, that is to say 132 of 245 coastal settlements, with rural prevalence, affecting 990 000 inhabitants (1995).
Mitigation and adaptation measures
The factors for mitigation and adaptation measures in coastal zones are:
-prospective impact by climate change and extreme events
-commitments precedent territorial
-sense of ownership of coastal population to area of residence
-potentialities for change in land use, and
-cost of the measures proposals
Territorial planning has a lot to in term of mitigation and adaptation of the coastal zones to floods due to sea-level rise and droughts, through the different levels of physical planning national, provincial, municipal and urban and temporary horizons.
The physical planning has among their functions
-to identify inside the territory the most favorable alternatives to carry out the development process
-to coordinate the investments localization
-to integrate sectorial and territorial policies
With the objective of to reach territorial proportions in the economic, social and environmental field, being able to increase the level and life quality of population.
Finally, the assessment of the present, past and future situation carried out allows us to identify a total of 107 coastal settlements that need to establish proposals of mitigation and adaptation measures. They represent 44% of the total coastal settlements, there are 43 classified as urban and 64 as rural.
The coastal population prioritized is 1174738 inhabitant., That is 83 % of total population living in the coastal zone and 50 000 below 1 meter high.
It is advisable the application of adaptation measures in dwellings and socio-economic constructions in urban zone under flood risk.
These measures can be of accommodation, protection or retreat their own settlement inside safer zone, other measures may be engineering projects, regulations urban and the land use, building codes and several laws. Territorial planning has administrative and control tools in order to establish this proposal .
The table 4 shows 107 coastal settlements with mitigation and adaptation measures according the priority established for them.
Table 4 Strategies of adaptation
Priori / Settlements / InhabitanI / 9 / 15219
II / 9 / 167095
III / 30 / 372942
IV / 62 / 619482
Total / 107 / 1174738
A total of 72 coastal settlements have been proposed for dwellings accommodation, for example construction of two levels, with lofts, over terraces and the rehabilitation of technical infrastructures.
The images are from south coast of the Havana province, the most vulnerable of the country. In the image (right mark) the floods are frequent, this happens more than twice in year.
Have been proposed retreat in 5 coastal settlements, the example is rural settlement Playa del Rosario, also in the south coast of Havana province. The surge of the tropical depression Irene in October 1999, threw tons of rocks over this settlement and destroyed 25 dwellings affecting others 149 settlements.
There are a quick shoreline retreat in Playa del Rosario, with a rate of 3m/year, affecting the pathway and the electric installations. Nowadays there are a retreat proposed of Playa del Rosario settlement due to the high risk by floods and quick retreat of the coast. The new location is 5 km toward inside the shoreline and the population accepts this measure.
Other adaptation measure is the local transfer of dwellings and productive facilities to more safer areas inside settlement, also the settlement can be sealed. There are 8 settlements with protection, 15 settlements with local reubication and13 settlements not growth.
The protection measures involve hard structures such as sea walls and dikes, also soft solutions such as dunes and vegetation.
The Havana city is very vulnerable, there are 45 000 inhabitants exposed to floods due to intensification and frequency of extratropical cyclones in the Gulf of Mexico. The area affected is 183 hectares, with more than 12 000 dwellings.
In this moment mitigation and adaptation measures have been applied, for example advanced engineering projects and urban regulations.
Coast Summary
The most important characteristic of coastal vulnerability are:
-About 250 km of coast has been urbanized (industries, tourism, port, settlements)
-There are 244 coastal settlements, 63 are urban and 181 are rural ones
-Coastal total population is 1.4 mm inhabit and represent a 13% of all population in the country
-52 coastal settlements report floods
-50 000 inhabitants of 98 coastal settlements live under of 1 meter high
-Yearly, in Havana city, other 50 000 inhabitants are exposed annually to coastal floods
-These isn’t significant disperse population in the coastal zone
-The areas of crops are not very vulnerable to sea- level rise
-The presence of natural forests is highly significant mainly mangroves
-440 beaches (588 km) are affected, a 66 % of them are located in important tourism areas
-The eastern region of Cuba is the most affected area by in the current and perspective.
-107 coastal settlements require adaptation and mitigation measures
General Conclusions
-It has been determined the vulnerability of coastal settlements to desertification and sea level rise by climate change and extreme events
-Territorial and urban planning in Cuba is the right way to face the adaptation of the coastal zones to the global changes with the popular participation.
References
Centella, A., T. Gutiérrez, y M. Limia, 1999: Proyecciones del clima futuro. En: UNEP/INSMET, Impacto del cambio climático y medidas de adaptación en Cuba. Proyecto No FP/cp/2200-97-12. La Habana
Salas I, R. Pérez Parrado y O. García, 2001: Ascenso del Nivel del Mar por Surgencia de Ciclones Tropicales En: Los asentamientos humanos, el uso de la tierra y los cambios globales en Cuba, proyecto. PROYECTO 01304089 Programa Nacional de Cambios Globales y Evolución del Medio Ambiente Cubano. Subprograma Dimensionamiento Humano del Cambio Global
Salas, I., C. Rodríguez, y A. Pérez, 1998: Elaboración de mapas de peligro por surgencia de ciclones tropicales En: Proyecto Cuba/94/003. Desarrollo de las Técnicas de Predicción y Reducción de su Acción Destructiva
Pérez A. y R. Rodríguez, 1998 : Evaluación de la vulnerabilidad y el riesgo por inundaciones costeras en Cuba. En: Proyecto PNUD/ Cuba/94/003. Desarrollo de las técnicas de predicción de las inundaciones costeras, Prevención y Reducción de su acción destructiva
Rodríguez C. , Pérez A.’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’ r En: Los asentamientos humanos, el uso de la tierra y los cambios globales en Cuba, proyecto. PROYECTO 01304089 Programa Nacional de Cambios Globales y Evolución del Medio Ambiente Cubano. Subprograma Dimensionamiento Humano del Cambio Global
Carlos Rodríguez Otero
Ada Luisa Pérez Hernández,
Instituto de Planificación Física
La Habana, Cuba
Email : ipf @ ceniai.inf.cu
Isidro Salas García
Instituto de Meteorología
La Habana, Cuba
Email: meteoro @ ceniai.inf.cu