Three years after its inception, in the province of Las Tunas the results of the Increasing Climate Resilience of Households and Rural Communities through the Rehabilitation of Productive Landscapes in Selected Localities of the Republic of Cuba (IRES) project are beginning to be seen.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- IRES, as it is known by its acronym in Spanish, is financed by the Green Climate Fund, through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, and executed by the Ministry of Agriculture, on behalf of the Cuban Government.

Yoandry Ávila Igarza, the coordinator of the provincial management unit of the project, explained that six tractors, 23 chainsaws, several agricultural implements for intervention in the areas, and a marabú weeding machine were received, for which the special oils it needs are expected to arrive.

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He said that in recent months, capacity building has been consolidated among IRES managers, beneficiaries, specialists, students, and technicians, while workshops were held for the operators of the modern technology that is already in the municipalities of Jobabo, Colombia, and Amancio.

He added that, despite fuel limitations, the beneficiaries have made a great effort to implement the six silvopastoral and agroforestry modules, which result in greater environmental protection and adaptation of people, communities, and vulnerable regions.

Ávila Igarza recalled that the project is present in 66 entities, including agricultural production and credit and service cooperatives, basic cooperative production units, and other units dedicated to sugarcane and forestry development and the protection of flora and fauna.

He also pointed out that in the southern part of the province, they carry out multiple actions in primary and secondary schools to motivate students, so that in the future they will be interested in agricultural production and care for the environment.

Although the main objective of IRES is to increase resilience to climate change, its development favors the agricultural management and food security of some 685 state or private producers, who manage about 17,000 hectares.