BASAL – Proyecto Bases Ambientales para la Sostenibilidad Alimentaria Local.

Project completed

BASAL contributes to the reduction of the vulnerabilities of the agricultural sector to climate change in Cuba. Its contributions concentrate on the identification, development and application, of measures and tools to promote the adaptation of the Cuban agriculture to the effects of climate change. The project also increases institutional and individual capacities to use the tools and methodologies, put at the disposal of the authorities and the Cuban institutions for the implementation of effective politics that contribute to a sustainable food production in a context of changing climate.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Cuba
Agriculture & food security
Climate change and environment
Agricultural development
Environmental policy
01.11.2016 - 30.06.2020
CHF  2’500’000
Background

The agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the effects of the climate change in Cuba. The Cuban government grants a high priority to the topics of food security and the adaptation to climate change, in a context characterized by an underproduction, the scarcity of agrochemical inputs and energy, an intense drought and 70 % of the agricultural soils in Cuba affected by conditions that limit its productivity.

Cuba has signed and ratified all the international agreements on the global challenge to face the transformations of the climate, with what it has undertaken commitments to tackle concrete actions for the adaptation to the climate change. The priority of the Cuban government in these topics has expressed itself in an important number of lineaments of the economic and social policy of the Party and the Revolution, in the official pronouncements of the government, and in the approval of laws and programs.

Nevertheless, there exist factors that limit its impact like insufficient information, sensitization and knowledge of the diverse key actors about the global and local impacts of the climate change, limited access to resources (financiers, knowledge, technologies, others) to develop adaptation measurements to the climate change and insufficient technical capacities in the treatment of the vulnerabilities.

Objectives

To support the adaptation the climate change, contributing to the continued and sustainable socio-economic development of the Republic of Cuba by supporting its adaptation to climate change

Target groups

About 1,820,000 person of the resident population in the 33 municipalities where the project intervenes (of which 51 % are women).

Medium-term outcomes

Reduced the vulnerabilities related to the climate change in the agricultural sector at local and national level.

 

Results

Results from previous phases:  

  • Implemented measurements of adaptation of a demonstrative way, in rice, various crops and milk, in 82 demonstrative places in the municipalities of implementation and approximately 5760 hectares of ground benefited, implemented by 1024 persons (297 women).
  • Strengthened the institutional, technical and material capacities, of more than 60 national and local entities with incidence in the adaptation efforts to the climate change of the agricultural sector and approximately 3036 key actors (1573 women) strengthened its technical and management competitions.
  • Implemented in three municipalities of reference tools, products and services that incorporate considerations on climate change and environmental sustainability, in support to the planning and the decision making of agricultural sector, and that are taken into consideration for the update of the plan for adaptation to the climate change of the agricultural sector.
  • Improved the equipment, the management and agrometeorological and extension services in 8 municipalities, with the introduction of specializing equipment, agricultural inputs, hardware and innovative organizational methods.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • United Nations Development Programme


Other partners

Ministerios de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente (CITMA) y Ministerio de la Agricultura (MINAG) (nivel central y sus delegaciones provinciales y municipales), Agencia de Medio Ambiente (AMA), Instituto de Geografía Tropical (IGT) and other institutes and research centers working on agriculture, climate and environment. Cuban associations (ONGs) related to agriculture, local governments, productive units and individual producers, Joint Research Center (JRC) the European Union (EU).

Coordination with other projects and actors

Projects supported by SDC (BIOMAS, PRODEL, PADIT, Agrocadenas y PIAL) UNDP (CPP- OP15, Manglar Vivo, PPD y Bioenergía).

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    2’500’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’500’000
Project phases

Phase 2 01.11.2016 - 30.06.2020   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.10.2012 - 31.10.2016   (Completed)