To counter flooding caused by sea-level rise and extreme weather events, Cuba is launching a US$44.3 million project to restore 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of mangroves and other coastal vegetation. Named Mi Costa, or My Coast, the initiative aims to strengthen natural coastal barriers for the benefit of 1.3 million people in 24 municipalities. In March US$23.9 million was approved for the first eight years of work by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the body created under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to finance climate adaptation and mitigation in developing nations. Endorsed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the project calls for the Cuban government to finance the rest of the 30-year project. “We have high expectations for this initiative, with which we aim to promote natural regeneration of mangroves and other marine plant communities,” José Manuel Guzmán, the technical director of Cuba’s Science... [Log in to read more]