Hydrometeorological strengthening to face drought and agricultural production in Villa Clara

Abstract

In 2017, the meteorological drought affected 81% of the national territory. Of the 242 reservoirs in the
country, 151 had less than 50% of their useful filling, with a more critical situation in 26 that were totally
dry. Based on data from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH), provincial counterparts and
meteorological stations, the diagnosis of this phenomenon is carried out in a homogeneous way so that
each territory can have timely and accurate information about the behavior of this extreme phenomenon.
The objective of this work is to strengthen the hydrometeorological service in the province, in order to
provide information aimed at the development of activities that comply with the Life task, in terms of the
implementation and control of adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change, as well as the
strengthening of monitoring, surveillance and early warning systems with the introduction of the early
warning system for agricultural producers. The application of technical instructions for the reinforcement
of the agro-hydrometeorological surveillance of the drought has generated specific information for
agricultural producers and other actors in favor of the food and nutritional security of the most vulnerable
people. Among the main products obtained are the Drought Bulletin, Drought Supplement, Warnings of
intense rains, hurricanes and drought, Decennial Agrometeorological Bulletin, outputs of biological
variables, such as livestock comfort index, reference evapotranspiration, forest fire forecast, as well as
the decennial hydrological bulletin.