2002 Events
Yociel Marrero Baez
Project Manager, Almendares River Clean-up/Metropolitan Park of Havana
and General Editor, Siempre Verde Bulletin (published by Havana Metropolitan
Park)
Yociel Marrero helps coordinate a major project to
clean up the Amendares River and develop Metropolitan Park. This river
runs through the center of Havana. One half of Havana’s sewage
flows into this river and only a small percentage of the waste is treated,
creating a public health hazard, particularly for the communities that
live along the river. The river cleanup project is part of a larger
program to develop an environmental Metropolitan Park in the 400 square
kilometers that comprise the river’s watershed, from its mouth
at the Atlantic Ocean inland for seven kilometers. The Metropolitan
Park, a long-time dream of city planners, includes plans for reforestation,
organic agriculture, vegetarian restaurants, and the development of
a center for environmental education, recreation, and other community
activities. The team, which includes sociologists as well as scientists,
has devoted considerable time to raising environmental awareness among
the people who live in the area, holding educational workshops, and
setting up community based water monitoring system.
The Almendares River is a central feature of Greater Havana's Metropolitan
Park (700ha.of area). The last 10Km of the river pass through Metropolitan
Park. The river was one of the important reasons influencing the location
of the City of Havana. In present days, the river serves a large number
of users, and provides a spectrum of environmental services. Unfortunately,
it has been abused and overused for long time, resulting in substantial
degradation and loss of environmental services. The river is 49.8 km
long with 254.6 km of tributaries and it drains a watershed of 402 km.
Industrial effluent represent flows of 70 000 l/sec whereas domestic
effluents constitute flows of 154 000 l/sec or 31.1% and 68.9% respectively.
There are 35 industries along the Almendares river. Many of these industries
and other facilities discharge directly into the river with little or
no treatment. Throughout its course, the river receives a large sediment
load which is due to deforestation occurring along the banks of the
river. Havana’s only sewage treatment plant became largely incapacitated
several years ago; another unfinished plant awaits completion. The engineers
in this project favor the installation of many small-scale treatment
plants and biological methods of control, but they need material and
informational assistance to move forward. The scientific team is also
working to convince factory management along the river to either relocate
or to invest in new technology that is more environmentally benign.
When: Thursday, May 9, 7 PM
Where: The Graduate Center, Room 9206/9207
The Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(Across from the Empire State Building)
To reserve, please reply to cubaproject@gc.cuny.edu OR call 212 817-2096.
