Guantanamo is a national reference in the fight against desertification and drought by research and projects such as those carried out by the Center for Technological Applications for Development (CATEDES) aimed at facing the effects of climate change in the most remote areas affected as the southern coastal strip of the province.
In this objective, the use of the potentialities of the Nim tree and inedible oilseed Jatropha Curcas (jatrofa Curcas) stands out, crops that contribute to face the aridity of the soils in that area of the province known as the Cuban semi-desert.
Soraya García Pavón, CATEDES specialist, explains that the promotion of the Nim tree forest in the Baitiqui Ecological Reserve, in the San Antonio del Sur Municipality, allowed recovering the flora and fauna of that area and working on the creation of local capacities with the bio-plant that is dedicated to extract oil from this product.
The projects implemented by the staff of the Center for Technological Applications for Development, in Guantánamo, also contribute to reforestation, improve the water supply in some population settlements and the quality of life of its inhabitants.
Likewise, the studies and actions of CATEDES, in Guantánamo, promote the use of clean energy, the cultivation of fruit trees and environmental sanitation, as it was implemented in the community Los Cerezos, in the coastal municipality Imías.