Cuba went into a state of combat readiness of the civil defence force on Monday due to a long drought, which do you predict will worsen in the coming months and has already caused damage to agriculture and forced more than a million people depend on imported trucks of water.

Drought destroys crops, from the famous Cuban tobacco to sugar cane, vegetables, rice, coffee and beans. In the country has slowed sowing, and the life of every ten residents depend on government water tankers with water during the peak summer heat.

The civil defense system of the country reported that drought, record heat and water leakage have resulted in low levels of water available for the population, agriculture, industry and services.

The government did not provide detailed data on the extent of damage from drought in the country, but said that the emergency measures taken at all levels, including a more rigorous water allocation through state-driven water station.

Cuba loses due to leakage around 50% of water obtained from the reservoirs. Irrigation system agricultural land is poorly developed, existing systems are outdated and inefficient.

Drought conditions around the coast of the Caribbean caused by the weather phenomenon known as El niño, led to the operation of the reservoirs at 37% capacity.

The Cuban authorities are increasingly concerned about the situation, which may result in more stringent water conservation measures in major cities and the difficult choice of where to direct the water during the winter planting season, the season of tourism and processing of sugar, which will begin in November.

The rainy season this year, which includes the hurricane season, as forecast, will bring the level of rainfall is significantly below normal due to El niño.

The last time a strong hurricane passed the island seven years ago, bringing the necessary torrential rains along with the inevitable damage.

Hurricane sandy was only some Eastern parts of Cuba in 2012.

Hard to believe, but many farmers hope the storm, they realize that a hurricane could destroy the roofs of their homes, but they need the rain.

Source: Thomson Reuters