Cuba's Natural Resources & Environmental Challenges

Natural Resources:

• Minerals: Nickel (5th world reserves), cobalt, copper, zinc, lead, iron ore (Moá, Nicaro, Punta Gorda).
• Oil & Gas: Offshore (North Cuba Basin) — modest production (~40K bpd), exploration ongoing.
• Forests: 25% land cover (reforested from 13% in 1959) — mahogany, cedar, pine.
• Fisheries: Tuna, lobster, shrimp, snapper — Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean.
• Renewables: High solar insolation, wind corridors (north coast), biomass (sugarcane bagasse).

Environmental Challenges

1. Deforestation: Illegal logging, agricultural expansion, hurricane damage.
2. Water Pollution: Industrial effluent, agricultural runoff (nitrates), inadequate sewage treatment.
3. Air Pollution: Aging thermoelectric plants, vehicles, oil refining (Cienfuegos, Havana).
4. Coastal Erosion: Sea-level rise + hurricanes (Irma 2017, Ian 2022) — threatens settlements, mangroves.
5. Climate Change: Temperature +1°C since 1950; more intense droughts & storms.
6. Biodiversity Loss: Habitat fragmentation, invasive species (lionfish, marabou weed), overfishing.

Policy Response

"Tarea Vida" (State Plan for Climate Change, 2017) — coastal protection, reforestation, renewable transition, water management. Limited by US embargo (finance/tech access).