The State-Plan for confronting climate change, "Life-Task”, is inspired by the thinking of the Historical Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz; who -in his speech at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro- stated:

"An important biological species is at risk of disappearing, due to the rapid and progressive liquidation of its natural living conditions: man."

Climate change:

Climate change is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity; which alters the composition of the global atmosphere, and adds to the natural variability of the climate; observed during comparable periods of time (at least 30 years).

The fundamental strategies in tackling climate change are mitigation and adaptation.

Adaptation:

It includes studies and solutions to reduce vulnerability, as far as possible, generally in the impacts of climate change. In human systems, actions try to moderate damage or take advantage of beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention can facilitate adjustment to the projected climate and its effects.

Mitigation:            

There are studies and solutions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; without compromising the country's economic and social development. Solutions include those that pursue the absorption of GHGs (net emissions); for example: the absorption of CO2 in biological sinks; such as forests or the capture of CO2 in underground or ocean deposits.

The State-Plan is made up of 5 strategic actions and 11 tasks. It constitutes a comprehensive proposal, which presents a first identification of prioritized areas and places, their effects and the actions to be undertaken; which can be enriched during the development and implementation in a short (2020), medium (2030), long ( 2050), and very long term (2100).

Strategic actions of the Life-Task.

1. Do not allow construction in threatened coastal settlements, which are predicted to disappear -due to permanent flooding- and in the most vulnerable ones. Reduce population density in low-lying coastal areas.

2. Develop constructive conceptions in infrastructure, adapted to coastal flooding for low-lying areas.

3. Adapt agricultural activities -particularly those with the greatest impact on the country's food security- to changes in land use as a consequence of sea level rise and drought.

4. Reduce the cultivation areas near the coasts or those affected by saline intrusion. Diversify crops, better soil conditions, introduce and develop resistant varieties to the new temperature scenario.

5. Plan the urban reorganization processes of the threatened settlements and infrastructures; within the specified time frames, in correspondence with the economic conditions of the country. Start with lower cost measures, such as induced natural solutions (beach recovery and reforestation).

• State-Plan tasks for confronting climate change:

1. Identify, undertake actions and projects for adaptation to climate change -of a comprehensive and progressive nature- necessary to reduce the existing vulnerability in the 15 areas identified as prioritized; considering, in order of action, the threatened population; as well as their physical and food security and the development of tourism.

2. Implement the legal norms -necessary to support the execution of the State-Plan- as well as ensure the strict compliance, with particular attention to measures aimed at reducing the vulnerability of the built heritage, prioritizing threatened coastal settlements.

3. Preserve, maintain and fully recover the sandy beaches of the Cuban archipelago, prioritizing urbanized beaches for tourist use and reducing the structural vulnerability of the built heritage.

4. Ensure the availability and efficient use of water, as part of the fight against drought, based on the application of technologies for saving and satisfying local demands. Raise hydraulic infrastructure and its maintenance; as well as the introduction of actions to measure water efficiency and productivity.

5. Direct reforestation towards the maximum protection of soils and waters in quantity and quality; as well as the recovery of the most affected mangroves. Prioritize the reservoirs, channels and hydro-regulatory strips of the tributary basins of the main bays and the coasts of the insular platform.

6. Stop the deterioration, rehabilitate and preserve coral reefs throughout the archipelago, with priority on the ridges that border the island platform and protect urbanized beaches for tourist use. Avoid overfishing of fish that favor corals.

7. Maintain and introduce in the territorial and urban arrangement plans, the scientific results of the Macro-project on Dangers and Vulnerability of the coastal zone (2050-2100); as well as Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Studies in the disaster reduction cycle. Use this information as an early warning for decision making.

8. Implement and control adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change; derived from sectorial policies in programs, plans and projects related to food security, renewable energy, energy efficiency, land and urban planning, fishing, agricultural activity, health, tourism, construction, transportation, industry and comprehensive forest management. OJO: SECTORIAL

9. Strengthen monitoring, surveillance and early warning systems, to systematically assess the status and quality of the coastal zone, water, drought and forest; and human, animal and plant health.

10. Prioritize measures and actions to increase the perception of risk, and increase the level of knowledge, and the degree of participation; of the entire population in tackling climate change, and a culture that encourages water saving.

11. Manage and use the available international financial resources (both from global and regional climate funds and from bilateral sources) to execute the investments, projects and actions that derive from each one of the State-Plan tasks.