
Advancing Environmental Sustainability and Historic Preservation in Cuba
Cuba-U.S. Collaboration in a New Era of Change
Monday, June 4, 2018 – 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Cuba has developed differently from any other country in the Caribbean. Many of its natural ecosystems remain remarkably healthy, and the country’s cultural heritage remains authentic and largely intact. The efforts to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States by President Obama fueled dramatic growth in tourism and interest in investment on the island, sparking concern that Cuba now faced the same scale of pressures that have resulted in environmental and heritage degradation throughout the Caribbean. With the advent of the Trump presidency and chilling of relations, some of these pressures have waned, but likely only temporarily.
This public event explores opportunities for small-scale, collaborative initiatives to successfully advance environmental sustainability and historic preservation in Cuba during this period of political uncertainty. It includes the public release of a new report by Ocean Doctor and the Center for International Policy, A Century of Unsustainable Tourism in the Caribbean: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Cuba.
Speakers
Introductory Remarks
- Salih Booker, Executive Director, Center for International Policy
Welcome - His Excellency Jose R. Cabañas Ph.D., Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Cuba
Cuba-U.S. Collaboration in a Time of Change - Robert L. Muse, Law Offices of Robert Muse
Opportunities to Advance Sustainability Under U.S. and Cuban Law
Environmental Sustainability
- Dr. David E. Guggenheim, President Ocean Doctor (moderator)
Report Release: A Century of Unsustainable Tourism in the Caribbean: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Cuba;
Project “Red Alerta” on the Isle of Youth, the Potential for Small-Scale Community-Based Conservation - Dr. Brian M. Boom, Vice President for Conservation Strategy, The New York Botanical Garden, and Chair, NYBG Caribbean Consortium
Sustainable Travel and Cuba’s Botanical Gardens
Historic Preservation
- Elizabeth Newhouse, Cuba Project Director, Center for International Policy (moderator)
Can Havana Continue to be a Model for the Region? - Norma Barbacci, Preservation Consultants, LLC
Opportunities for Preservation in Old Havana and Beyond - Kadir Lopez Nieves, Artist and Adolfo V. Nodal, Producer
Havana Light Neon preservation project, Reconstruction of the historic Rex Duplex Theatre
Discussion and Questions
The Cuba-U.S. Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) is a project of the Center for International Policy, Ocean Doctor and Robert Muse & Associates, in consultation with Cuban governmental and nongovernmental agencies, to support Cuba’s efforts to chart a sustainable course in the face of political changes and economic pressures.