HAVANA: In an effort to protect the island's biodiversity and natural environments, Cuba has declared 144 new protected areas.
According to local newspaper Juventud Rebelde, the newly added protected areas, which have been approved by the Council of Ministers, now occupy more than 15% of the country's land and more than 20% of inland waterways.
The action comes after the National Assembly of People's Power approved a new environmental law to replace one that was passed in 1997.
Cuba created 26 new protected areas in 2021, the majority of them are located in the eastern provinces of Las Tunas and Guantanamo.
In accordance with the principles of sustainable development, the Caribbean country has increased the environmental preservation of national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife refuges in recent years.
Local government officials are still working to put into place a national government initiative that was started in 2017 to lessen the effects of global warming brought on by climate change and rising sea levels.
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