Havana - Cuban Head of State Miguel Diaz-Canel checked on measures taken to address climate change, including the relocation of coastal settlements, the Presidency of the Republic announced Friday.

According to official information, the President headed Thursday a meeting to address the issue, as well as actions to protect Cuba's historical memory.

The Ministry of the Interior was responsible for explaining the actions it carries out, including those aimed at ensuring land use planning in coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels.

They also discussed the protection of mangroves and marine ecosystems, and the early warning system for forest fires.

Measures adopted in Camagüey, the easternmost of Cuba's central provinces, was high in the agenda focused on coastal settlements, particularly those expected to disappear between 2050 and 2100. At the same time, the authorities headed by Diaz-Canel looked into actions planned for the tourist keys and the northern coast, sandy beaches with intense erosion and the unprotected coastal areas with saline intrusion to the south of the province.

Camagüey's delegate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Andrea Armas, reported on measures such as the elimination of invasive exotic species, the recovery of vegetation in the dunes, the construction of adequate access to beaches and the replacement of technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Armas, 1,254 homes must be moved from coastal areas in the territory, of which 54 had already been relocated in late 2018 and all the places where the new communities will be built were determined.

The Cuban President said this relocation process is a complex task and acknowledged the steps taken in Camagüey.

Regarding the preservation of Cuba's historical memory, the meeting checked the Institutional System of University Files, a 43-year working entity.