Strengthening the resilience of families and vulnerable groups affected by drought in Santiago de Cuba

Extreme drought in Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba Province is experiencing a severe drought that has worsened steadily since early 2015. Water supply sources are barely at 27.5% of their capacity, and the ones in the city of Santiago de Cuba –with half a million inhabitants- only retains 15.8%. Santiago de Cuba province is also one of the most vulnerable areas in food security and nutrition, that has suffered further negative impacts due to the current drought.

The programme 

The programme is designed with an integrated approach where each of its results aim to strengthen the water chain in drought situations in a large city in Cuba. This includes: the system of hydrometeorological early warning; control, distribution and supply under conditions of scarcity; capacity building; access to safe water; and continuity of food production in drought conditions, based on the efficient use of water.

The approach

• Strengthening hydrometeorological early warning to facilitate adequate decision-making in response and adaptation measures to drought.
• Improvement of the hydrometric monitoring and control of water sources and distribution systems, controlling their flow delivery; monitoring the water quality; and diagnosing leaks in distribution networks.
• Responding to the needs of improving access to water at household level through the distribution of tanks and hygiene kits, giving priority to the most vulnerable families.
• With a focus on sustainability, building local capacity to produce reservoirs and meet the demand of the population, as well as extending reparation services of households internal networks and services to avoid intra-household losses.