Havana, Cuba.- Cuba is open to collaborate with the CARICOM member countries to transfer its knowledge on climate change, assured Jose Santana, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma).

The Caribbean island is willing to contribute ideas supportively to the members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), consistent with the reality that identifies them as small island States, with equal origins and similar risks, ensured the official in the framework of the UNESCO’s International Science School.

During the third day of the event, which will be held until Friday in the capital’s National Hotel, participants exchanged experiences on the development of resilience in response to climate change in the Caribbean countries, with special emphasis on good practices of South-South cooperation (technical and economic collaboration among developing States) in the region.

In this regard, Santana referred to the actions to cooperate in disaster reduction in the 2018-2020 triennium, among which he stressed the creation of a platform for exchanging data from the existing radar network in the Caribbean, as well as characterizing the technological systems of the CARICOM member countries that support the national predictions of meteorological events.

Carrying out evaluations of coastal vulnerability and impacts of extreme events, and implementing adaptation measures in socioeconomic sectors and strategic ecosystems, are among the proposed actions.

The panel concluded after identifying two priority areas for cooperation in the coming years.

One of them is the systematic preparation with higher quality, which includes among its fundamental needs training courses and scientific research, as well as workshops and exercises, expressed Luis Macareño, specialist of the National General Staff of Civil Defense of Cuba.

Efficient early warning systems to deal with hazards turns out the second priority area, pointed out Macareño, who identified the execution of hazard, vulnerability and disaster risk studies as the main needs in this regard, as well as the increase in management centers to reduce these threats.

The International Science School of UNESCO proposes for tomorrow the exchange on cooperation for adjustment to climate change in the Caribbean, with the purpose of identifying at least one proposal for a collaborative project for each previously defined area.

All this as a result of the joint discussion of donor interests and the needs of the recipient countries.