Havana, May 8 (Prensa Latina) A sub-regional workshop about the struggle against desertification and drought in the Caribbean began in Cuba on Monday, including celebration of the International Year of Deserts and Desertification in the area.

Sixteen countries are participating in the event to analyze in three days, the actions they can take to establish an environmental recovery program, with participation of youths and developing a sub-regional-action program for the Caribbean.

This is the most important activity to favor Latin American and Caribbean collaboration in the struggle against that scourge, Executive Secretary of the Convention of Struggle against Desertification and Drought Hama Arba Diallo said.

The situation is difficult in many places in the world, thus 2006 is the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, he explained at the opening ceremony of the workshop that will last until Wednesday.

The environmental situation in the Caribbean is not perfect, as they say, because there is real danger of degradation, storms, landslides, and increasing atmospheric problems.

Globalization and free trade have made the Caribbean to face important challenges regarding protection of its lands, he stated.

Cuba is undergoing a serious drought, which seems to be the continuation of a phenomenon that began some years ago, Diallo said. Development of a regional training school for recovery of the affected areas is among the actions the Island will propose at the workshop.