Project to solve flooding on the Havana Malecon inaugurated in Spain
HAVANA, Nov 21. A project that seeks to solve flooding on the Havana Malecon was inaugurated this Monday in Spain.Its opening took place at the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria).
The recently inaugurated project is carried out by IHCantabria and the Dar TAEP Associated Engineering Association, based in Kuwait, and consists of carrying out tests, in a 2D and 3D physical model, of the solution proposals.
Its execution is financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
Named “Complementary studies for the comprehensive solution to flooding on the Malecón of Havana”, the project also additionally contemplates the provision of short training courses and technical support to assist in designs and decision-making, as explained by IHCantabria.
For this reason, in the inaugural event, in which Cuban professionals also participated, “the importance of the event was highlighted to promote the protection of vulnerable areas against extreme climate phenomena” on the Havana boardwalk, the entity reports.
One of the main objectives of this project is to strengthen the capabilities of the research team of the local Cuban consultant. This team is made up of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH), the Western Hydraulic Engineering Services Company (ESIHO) and the Hydraulic Research Center of the Technological University of Havana (CIH-CUJAE).
To meet this objective, IHCantabria has designed a specific training program in the use and application of the most innovative technologies in Coastal and Maritime Engineering. This program began this Monday with a hybrid modality and will last three weeks, until next December 7.
This training program “includes everything from the characterization of the maritime climate, through the propagation of waves, its interaction with coastal infrastructure, until reaching the composite flooding (marine and hydrological) of sheltered or protected urban areas.”
For this purpose, he adds, “Both the physical processes that govern these aspects of engineering and the tools with which they are resolved and characterized will be analyzed.”
IH Cantabria considers that this project “represents a milestone in the search for effective solutions to the challenges caused by flooding” on the Havana Malecon.
The information does not provide more details about the implementation of what was modeled in the project and its possible impact on practice.
The Havana Malecon, one of the emblematic sites of the Cuban capital, periodically suffers from flooding caused by storms, hurricanes, cold fronts, and other meteorological phenomena.
These events not only damage the iconic wall but also its city environment and cause damage to its residents and the city in general.
