• Submitted by: admin
• Las Tunas
• Health and Medicine
• 01 / 18 / 2007

Efforts to reduce the levels of contamination and to promote clean products have brought about a steady improvement of the environmental health in this province. At the same time, research and innovation in this area have made some important gains.

Among the successes recorded were a 6.3 percent reduction in the amount of contaminants of organic origin and advances in the provinces strategy to decrease the consumption of ozone depleting substances. A special emphasis has been made on the degasification of outdated refrigerators and air conditioners that are being replaced by energy-saving appliances as part of the Energy Revolution.

The establishment in Las Tunas of a Caribbean Training Center for Sustainable Land Resource Management was an important step taken to try to halt desertification.

More than 19, 500 hectares of degraded land were targeted with different improvement and conservation projects, while the forest surfaces grew 0.18 percent, which means another 1, 200 hectares of forest.

In 2006, 4,157, 000 pesos were invested in environment-related activities resulting in several projects with an important social impact, in spheres as diverse as milk production, biological control of plagues and the Education department in elementary schools.

Successful 2006

Alfredo Barrameda Quesada, director of Science and Technology of the Provincial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) assessed 2006 as a "very successful year for both technological innovation and research and development."

Since Las Tunas does not have big research centres like Havana, he explained, "We focus on technological innovation. It is important to highlight the results of organizations such as the Fabrica de Aceros Inoxidables (ACINOX), the Empresa de Muebles (LUDEMA), the Empresa de Producciones Metálicas (DURALMET), the Empresa Azucarera Antonio Guiteras and the Centro de Información y Gestión tecnológica (CIGET)"

Other outstanding organizations were the Fabrica de Ron Sevilla, which was recognized again as the organization with the cleanest production and the UBPC Maniabo, awarded the National Environmental Award.

Source: Periodico26.cu