People and forests in development : perspectives from Cuba

Abstract

Since 1959, forest cover in Cuba has increased by approximately 30% to 1.1 million hectares in 1992. As forest cover was expanding in Cuba, human welfare conditions were also improving, rising to their highest levels in all of Latin American and the Caribbean in the early 1990s. This thesis argues that individual perceptions and uses of forest resources have influenced Cuban development. The bases for the argument rests on an analysis of attitudes and activities in Establo, a community located in the Sierra del Rosario region of western Cuba. The thesis claims that Cuba has implemented Alternative Development strategies in its socialization of forestry. Data from the community case study were used to examine if, and to what extent, forest resources have a function in the development of the community of Establo. As community interests are most affected by changes in local forest conditions, community-based research, it is argued, provides vital insight into the links between forest development and social development. The thesis contributes to the understanding of the process of forest development in Cuba. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)