Cuban News Agency

---

The Cuban Defense Office has alerted that given the prevailing heavy rains
on the national territory, local authorities must closely observe the
behavior of water sources and reservoirs, as well as consider measures to
be adopted on time to protect the people an economic resources by paying
special attention to any settlement that could remain isolated by the
natural phenomena.

The National weather institute has issued advisories telling of prevailing
rains and thunderstorms in most of the country over the next 24 to 48
hours, with the most intense rainfalls in the western provinces especially
in mountainous zones.

Recent TV weather reports showed the largest rainfall accumulates in the
central part of the island due to a massive area of heavy rains affecting
the southwestern Caribbean.

Cubans have woken up to very cloudy and rainy mornings this week and lived
really wet days, though the natural phenomenon has not affected daily
activities, except for rural zones where rainfalls have caused local
floods, particularly in agricultural areas.

Meanwhile, a National Water Resources Management Program implemented here
since 1963 has provided benefits like the increase in the storage capacity
of reservoirs, the cushioning of the impact by heavy rains, and the
storage of rainwater for human consumption, agriculture and the industry.

According to the Cuban report to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable
Development the island’s water storage capacity increased by 20 folds in
the past 40 years, and the volumes accumulated up to 2010, were calculated
at 9. 6  billion cubic meters of water in 239 reservoirs. This
infrastructure includes canals, pumping stations, dams, and other
engineering works that offer protection against floods.

The Cuban report also explains about sustainable water distribution plans,
the increase of forests in water collection zones and other aspects
related to Objective Number Seven of the UN Millennium Development Goals
about stopping the deterioration of water quality and increasing its
availability.

The report also explains about the replacement of inappropriate and
inefficient technologies, the recycling and improvement of water
distribution networks and the promotion of water saving actions and
rational use, among other issues of great significance.