What Becomes of Cuba After the Embargo Is Lifted?

When a foreigner sets foot in Cuba, it immediately becomes clear that this magical island is profoundly unique and has developed drastically differently than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean. And for those who venture into its verdant mountains or below its aquamarine waves, a striking revelation awaits: Just as the fifties-era Chevys and horse-drawn buggies portray an island seemingly frozen in time, so, too, do its exceptionally healthy and vibrant ecosystems illustrate that Cuba may have picked the perfect time in history not to follow the path of its neighbors. Indeed the past half century has seen a tragic and unprecedented decline in Caribbean coastal and marine ecosystems.

Elkhorn coral, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic and important species, is estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be 95 extinct from Caribbean waters today. But in Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen National Park—which includes Cuba’s first “no-take” marine reserve, the largest in the Caribbean—a barrier reef of healthy and magnificent elkhorn stretches across more than thirty miles as part of a barrier reef, brimming with snapper, grunt, eagle rays and sea turtles, leaving one scratching their head and wondering how in a world of corals dead and dying that such a sight is possible today.

The health of Cuba’s environment is partially an accident of history and the unique way Cuba has developed—or not developed as the case may be. The U.S. economic embargo, which was imposed on Cuba 54 years ago today, has no doubt kept millions of would-be tourists from Cuban shores and the consequent development of the resorts and golf courses that might have accommodated them. However, an important part of the story lies with the Cubans themselves who have placed strong environmental laws in place along with a comprehensive national system of protected areas. Its national commitment to protect 25 percent of its marine waters in protected areas is world-leading. In comparison, the global average is only one percent.

At a time when we reflect on the embargo, it is critical to consider what becomes of Cuba’s environmental achievements in a post-embargo world. Given the uncertainty in Cuba’s future—including a burgeoning privatization movement and the possibility of an end to the U.S. economic embargo and massive influx of tourism and business—it is important to anticipate dramatically increasing pressures on Cuba’s natural resources. A team of Cuban and American scientists believes that placing an economic value on Cuba’s natural resources will be essential to ensure the long-term protection of Cuba’s ecosystems and the “future-proofing” of its environmental laws.

A Critically Endangered Goliath Grouper greets a tourist photographer in Cuba's Gardens of the Queen National Park. Environmental economics demonstrated that conservation and ecotourism would result in more revenue than commercial fishing. Photo credit: David E. Guggenheim

Healthy elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) stretches for more than 30 miles as part of a barrier reef in Cuba's Gardens of the Queen. This important coral species is now 95 extinct from the Caribbean. Photo credit: David E. Guggenheim

Healthy elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) stretches for more than 30 miles as part of a barrier reef in Cuba's Gardens of the Queen. This important coral species is now 95 extinct from the Caribbean. Photo credit: David E. Guggenheim

By the 1960s it became clear that traditional economics failed to take into account important factors, such as social welfare and the environment. Environmental economics seeks to measure the environmental impacts or costs of economic decisions, helping to address the shortfalls of policies based on traditional economics which often treat environmental impacts as externalities without economic consequence.