HAVANA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Cuba reached forest cover of 31.1 percent in 2016, an increase of 0.5 percent compared to 2015, said local experts cited on Wednesday by the daily "Granma."
Officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma) confirmed that the forest cover was achieved after a five-year strategy to grow woods as part of Cuba's environmental management plan.
69 percent of the island's forests are in protected areas of conservation, especially those near important water sources.
The scientists also spoke about how beaches nationwide had been rehabilitated and that around 55,000 hectares had benefited in 2016 from the National Program for Improvement and Conservation of Soils.
About 60 percent of Cuban land has been affected by erosion, with a direct impact on national food programs.
In 2012, the Cuban government initiated a program of reforestation and rational land use. This aims to create sustainable agroforestry systems, with a return of forest cover to fight soil erosion, conserve biodiversity and support food security.
When the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro triumphed in 1959, the country had forest cover of only 13.4 percent, due to logging and the expansion of the sugar industry, among other causes.
