Erosion Affecting Over 400 Beaches in Cuba

HAVANA TIMES — A total of 413 Cuban beaches are showing signs of erosion, with the rate of coastline loss averaging 1.2 meters per year, indicated recent research that was released by the official Granma newspaper.

More than a dozen institutions that conducted investigations on coastal hazards and vulnerability for the years 2050 and 2100 identified this worrisome situation relating to the island’s beaches, including those at the renowned Varadero resort, reported the article.

According to Jose Luis Juanes, the head of Coastal Processes of the Cuban Oceanology Institute, the main causes of this process are inappropriate human actions (such as sand mining), the improper locating of channels, piers and docks, as well as construction activities on the natural sandbanks.

Among the treatments that the country is currently attempting is the artificial application of sand. The article specifically mentions the case of Varadero, where nearly 2.9 million cubic meters of sand have been deposited since 1987.