Access to water and sanitation services

Since 1959, among the many social programmes that have been implemented are those aimed at improving access to drinking water and sanitation services. The water supply and sanitation system currently covers 8.5 million inhabitants living in 2729 urban and rural settlements [7.22].

However, marked differences in the levels of coverage persist between rural and urban areas. In 2002, 95.2% of the population had access to drinking water:

98.4% in urban areas and 85.4% in rural ones [7.8]. Considerable energy is necessary to provide these services, mainly for pumping water to the most populated cities in the country. The company Aguas de La Habana, which provides water to the capital, is among the ten largest consumers of electricity in the country. Therefore, the availability of electricity is crucial in providing these basic services to the population.

With the economic crisis of the 1990s and the lack of basic inputs, improvements in drinking water and sanitation services were postponed. The primary objective at the end of the crisis was to return water quality levels to those of the 1960s. The quality levels have been improved, but they continue to be a high priority task. At the beginning of the 1990s, Cuba had virtually no suppliers of equipment and other inputs for the construction and rehabilitation of water supply and sanitation systems. In addition, limitations in the availa-bility of electricity for pumping purposes represented a problem. This lack of supplies (including electricity) was reflected in the low availability of water and sanitation services. The most critical period — between 1990 and 1995 —was characterized by the limited operation of pumping stations due to the lack of spare parts, irregular and reduced hours of service and limited water treatment owing to chemical shortages.

7.3. MAIN ISSUES

Cuba has high levels of electrification, access to water supply and sanitation services, industrialization, urbanization and reforestation.

Government programmes supporting these have contributed to the country’s economic and social development.

All Cuban citizens have the right to receive energy services at a minimum level of quality and security. Also, fuel prices and electricity tariffs are structured so that the services are affordable for the whole population, while at the same time energy conservation is promoted.

In the case of household fuel usage, there is a system of rationed distri-bution, guaranteeing access to fuels for the whole population throughout the country. Currently, only 50% of the perceived need for fuel in rural households is being satisfied. Improvement in this situation is important for sustainable energy development.

With the crisis in the 1990s, poverty and fuel shortages re-emerged as national problems. However, the programmes for electricity and fuel conser-vation, for the substitution of domestic fuels for imports and for rural electrifi-cation, particularly in support of social objectives, have had encouraging results.

Among Cuba’s main energy related social goals are the provision of electricity to 100% of the population in the near future; the continuing education of the population with regard to energy issues, with particular emphasis on energy conservation and protection of the environment and human health; the promotion of sustainable development in the country and the generation of enough electricity to completely eliminate the electricity not served. In this respect, the issue of availability of energy services at the specific time they are demanded is a major concern in pursuit of social goals and sustainable development.

Although the number of sugarcane plantations and industrial facilities has been reduced, the restructuring of the sugar agro-industry should increase productivity (yield of sugarcane per hectare) and electricity generation efficiency (kW·h/t of crushed sugarcane).

Cuba’s hydropower and wind potentials should be evaluated, along with the development of ‘energy forests’ and the best use of forest biomass, animal wastes, oxidation ponds, sugarcane alcohol, wastes from refineries and citrus production, and solid urban waste, for their energy use and to create new jobs.

REFERENCES

[7.1] COMITÉ ESTATAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Compendio Estadístico de Energía de Cuba — 1985, CEE, Havana (1986).

[7.2] COMITÉ ESTATAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Compendio Estadístico de Energía de Cuba — 1989, CEE, Havana (1990).

[7.3] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 1996, ONE, Havana (1998).

[7.4] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 1998, ONE, Havana (1999).

[7.5] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 1999, ONE, Havana (2000).

[7.6] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 2000, ONE, Havana (2001).

[7.7] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 2001, ONE, Havana (2002).

[7.8] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 2002, ONE, Havana (2003).

[7.9] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Estadísticas Energéticas — 2002, ONE, Havana (2003a).

[7.10] OFICINA NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICAS, Anuario Estadístico de Cuba — 2003, ONE, Havana (2004).

[7.11] ECHEVARRÍA, V., Principales aspectos del desarrollo de la industria mecánica nacional en el período revolucionario, Cuba: Economía Planificada 3 2 (1998).

[7.12] ALTSHULER, J., Etapas de la electrificación en Cuba (primera parte), Energía y Tú 6 Abril–Junio (1999).

[7.13] ALTSHULER, J., Etapas de la electrificación en Cuba (segunda parte), Energía y Tú 7 Julio–Septiembre (1999).

[7.14] ALTSHULER, J., Etapas de la electrificación en Cuba (tercera parte), Energía y Tú 8 Octubre–Diciembre (1999).

[7.15] MADRUGA, E., Una experiencia cubana: la electrificación solar a las casas consultorios del médico de la familia en zonas montañosas y rurales remotas, Energía y Tú 0 (1997).

[7.16] PROGRAMA DE DESARROLLO DE LAS FUENTES NACIONALES DE ENERGÍA RENOVABLE, Actualización del Programa de Desarrollo de las Fuentes Nacionales de Energía Renovable, CITMA, Havana (2003).

[7.17] ORGANIZACIÓN LATINOAMERICANA DE ENERGÍA, Sistema de Infor-mación Económica Energética (2003),

http://www.olade.org.ec/siee.html

[7.18] MINISTERIO DE FINANZAS Y PRECIOS, Sistema Tarifario Eléctrico, Resolución 311 del Ministerio de Finanzas y Precios 2001, MFP, Havana (2002).

[7.19] SOMOZA, J., GARCÍA, A., Reformas en el sector energía en América Latina y el Caribe: Experiencias para Cuba (Parte II), Cuba: Investigación Económica 4 (1998).

[7.20] UNITED NATIONS, Cuba entre los Países con más alto Índice de Desarrollo Humano en América Latina (2004),

http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2004/julio/vier16/cuba.html

[7.21] COMISIÓN ECONÓMICA PARA AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE, La Economía Cubana: Reformas Estructurales y Desempeño en los Noventa, CEPAL, Mexico City (2000).

[7.22] INSITUTO NACIONAL DE RECURSOS HIDRÁULICOS, Datos Estadísti-cos, INRH, Havana (2001).