Cuba is an independent island state with a population of 11.3 million and an area of 109,884 km2. It is the largest island in the Caribbean. Its population density is 103 inhabitants per km2.
The Cuban territory is composed of 80% of plains and plateaus to which are added three mountain ranges. Its typically tropical climate means that there are two seasons in Cuba: dry and rainy season. In the dry season, rivers can dry up and in the wet season there can be peaks of turbidity in the water after heavy rains. This makes it difficult to obtain safe drinking water.
Cuba is particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters such as hurricanes and extreme hydrometeorological events.
Cuba is particularly vulnerable to environmental disasters such as hurricanes and extreme hydrometeorological events.
Water resources are heterogeneously distributed on the island. Droughts are regular and a large part of the provinces face water stress (13 out of 16 provinces).
Drinking water and sanitation
Access to sanitation in Cuba is rather high compared to other Caribbean states and islands. 95.3% of the Cuban population has satisfactory access to drinking water while 92.8% has access to basic sanitation services (INTPA 2021). However, only 56.7% of the facilities are collective sanitation facilities and 14.4% are septic tanks. The rest of the sanitation systems in Cuba are latrines or other types of individual facilities.
