The coastal management office of the Cuban resort city of Varadero is promoting a Latin American network for the exchange of information on positive experiences in protecting the region's beaches. Although it is still in its organizational phase, “the Pro-Beach Network already has 14 groups from eight countries,” Alfredo Cabrera, director of the Varadero office, told Tierramérica.

According to a proposal to launch the network in 2006, the region's beaches are under intensive recreational and tourism pressure, with rapid changes that lead to physical-environmental degradation.

“The coastal management and certification programs applied to beaches are not very developed, and there are great insufficiencies among the few experiences in development.”

In addition to the Cuban office, the network has support from entities in Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica. Initial contacts have also been made with groups from Argentina, Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador