Varadero Adjusts to Rising Seas

HAVANA TIMES — Varadero, Cuba’s leading tourist destination for sun and beaches, loses between 70 centimeters and one meter of coastline each year due to rising sea level, reported the Cuban News Agency.

The steps taken by the authorities to stop erosion include banning construction on sand dunes and bringing in sand.

In Varadero, where over a million tourists visit each year, the tourism authorities have deposited nearly 2.9 million cubic meters of sand since 1987.

The problem is present in 84 percent of Cuban beaches. In total it is estimated that some 413 beaches show signs of erosion, with the rate of retreat of the coastline being 1.2 meters per year.