FAO Recognizes Cuba’s Work to Protect Forests

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 4 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognized Cuba’s efforts in the protection of forest areas and in favor of reforestation programs.To mark the beginning of the International Year of Forests, FAO released the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) report, which comes out every two years and assesses the status of global forest resources. SOFO 2011 includes information on trends in forest management, production of forest products, and raw forest cover data.

Cuba annually increases its forest cover and the plan is to have 3.2 million hectares of forests areas by the year 2015, which is 29,3% of the national territory.

Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, reforestation efforts have been underway to counteract the deforestation suffered during the colonial period and as a result of the development of the sugar industry, among other factors.

As part of these efforts, Cuba has a center for forest research with seven experimental stations across the island and 1,200 forest engineers. (acn)

Japanese Television Network Broadcasts Programs on Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 4 - The Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) of Japan premiered a series of four programs on Cuba, which offered viewers of the Asian nation an overview on the Caribbean island. A team of the MBS traveled to Cuba in December to shoot the documentary, which highlights tourist attractions and tackles important aspects of the history of the Revolution, the www.cubaminrex.cu Web site reports.

The documentary shows, for example, achievements of the pharmaceutical industry and of public health and education on the island, in spite of the blockade imposed on Cuba by Washington for almost half a century now.

Likewise, it highlights the significance the 6th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party –to be held in April- will have.

MBS gets to two million viewers in the region of Kansai, including five important prefectures.(acn)

Only FIDE Woman Judge in Central Am Acknowledged in Cuba

HOLGUIN, Cuba, Feb 4 - The only FIDE woman judge of Central America and the Caribbean, Cuban Barbara Lopez-Chavez, was acknowledged on Thursday in the eastern province of Holguin by local authorities for her work.

Lopez-Chavez is one of the three judges participating in the national chess women’s championship underway in Cuba.

Lopez-Chavez was a founder of the Latin American Higher Chess Institute in 1992, where she worked as a professor to later become a judge.

In the same year, she received the certificate of national Judge and then in 2006 she received the FIDE title.

Lopez-Chavez is expecting to participate for the first time this year in the Capablanca in Memoriam 2011 Tournament, which will bring more than 100 chess players to Cuba.

After the event, she is hoping to receive the FIDE International Judge title. (AIN)