Infrastructure Assessment for a Transition in Cuba

Edited by: Manuel Cereijo, D. Sc., P.E. and Helena Solo-Gabriele, Ph.D., P.E.

March 21, 2011

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This is a publication of

The Endowment for Cuban American Studies of the

Jorge Mas Canosa Freedom Foundation

The Endowment for Cuban American Studies of the Jorge Mas Canosa Freedom Foundation promotes scholarship and ultimately public awareness on issues pertaining to social, political and economic trends in Cuba and their potential impact on Florida and the rest of the United States. The Jorge Mas Canosa Freedom Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the re-establishment of freedom and democracy in Cuba. The Foundation supports the principles of: respect for human rights; freedom of through and expression; freedom of religion; the right of people to freely elect their government; the rights to private property; free enterprise; and economic prosperity with social justice.

The Endowment for Cuban American Studies

P.O. Box 440069 Miami, FL, 33144

(305) 592-7768

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ENDORSEMENT The Association of Cuban Engineers and the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers are proud to endorse this compendium to assist a transition government in Cuba to meet humanitarian as well as reconstruction challenges needed to bring the infrastructure of the country back to a level that can adequately sustain its population. Carlos Gil-Mera, President Maria Fernandez-Porrata, Vice-President Cuban-American Assoc. of Civil Engineers (C-AACE) http://www.c-aace.org/index.htm

Peter M. Montadas, President Helena Solo-Gabriele, President-Elect Association of Cuban Engineers (AIC) www.aic-ace.com

DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the 50 year history of the two engineering Cuban organizations located in Miami (AIC and C-AACE) and to the memory of Jorge Mas Canosa who, through his deep passion for Cuba, initiated the original work in the early 1990’s to evaluate the country’s infrastructure.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Publisher Information Endorsement Dedication Preface I. Purpose and Organization of the Compendium II. Historical Context of this Work III. Disclaimer IV. Acknowledgements V. Executive Summary of Infrastructure Needs VI. References VII. Biographies of Contributors

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Appendices Listed Below (Available Electronically on Attached CD) Appendix A - Architecture and Urban/Regional Planning ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING IN CUBA, THE UBIQUITOUS ARCHIVE OF HISTORY: PRESENT SITUATION AND FUTURE NEEDS. Nicolás Quintana 2011 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE URBAN REGIONS OF CUBA Juan Antonio Bueno 2011 LAND ASSESSMENT NEEDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT-OF-WAY Nicolás Gutiérrez 2011 Appendix B - Transportation TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN A FREE CUBA: HOW TO MEET DEMANDS IN A CHALLENGING ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Sergio Alfonso, Jr., and Carlos A. Penin 2009 (with Powerpoint presentation) Appendix C - Water and Wastewater CUBA’S WATER AND WASTEWATER SECTOR: ENVIRONMENTAL LITERATURE, INSTITUTIONAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES AND FUTURE WORK Helena M. Solo-Gabriele and Armando I. Perez 2008 (with Powerpoint presentation)

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PRIVATIZATION OR SELF-STRENGHTHENING FOR THE WATER SECTOR IN CUBA?: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE WATER SECTOR IN PUERTO RICO Jorge Rodríguez Ruiz 2009 (with Powerpoint Presentation) WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES FOR CUBA WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HAVANA, INCLUDING SOME BENEFIT-COST CONSIDERATIONS Armando I. Perez, Roberto Cardona, Luis Locay, and Helena M. Solo-Gabriele 2009 (with Powerpoint presentation) EVALUATION OF CUBA’S WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING HIGH PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS AND ORDER-OF-MAGNITUDE COSTS Josenrique Cueto and Omar De Leon 2010 (with Powerpoint presentation) CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF COTORRO, PROVINCE OF HAVANA, CUBA Cristina Ortega-Castineiras, Karen Kajder, and Reshma Ramoutar 2009 (with Powerpoint presentation) Appendix D - Power CUBA’S POWER SECTOR: 1998-2008 Manuel Cereijo 2008 THE POWER SECTOR IN CUBA: FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Juan A. B. Belt 2008 REPUBLIC OF CUBA: POWER SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT Manuel Cereijo 2010a (with Powerpoint presentation and executive summary) REPUBLIC OF CUBA: POWER SECTOR EVALUATION AFTER THE HURRICANES (Powerpoint presentation) Manuel Cereijo 2010b Appendix E - Telecommunications REPUBLIC OF CUBA TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT Manuel Cereijo 2010c (with Powerpoint presentation and executive summary)

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Appendix F - Healthcare Infrastructure CUBA’S HEALTHCARE (Powerpoint presentation) Pete Martinez 2009 Appendix G - Comprehensive Documents THE CUBAN ECONOMY: BLUEPRINT FOR RECONSTRUCTION Manuel Cereijo 1992 CUBA RECONSTRUCTION (Powerpoint presentation) The Miami Medical Team c/o Manuel Alzugaray 2011

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PREFACE When we think of Cuba’s future, we have mainly focused on what we can do to help the country transform its economic and political systems in an effort to improve the failed totalitarian state. Yet very little attention has been paid to what the actual core needs of the survival are—rebuilding the infrastructure of the country. From the rebuilding of the water supply system, waste management, power sector, telecommunications, healthcare, architecture, etc., all these will play a crucial role in how quickly Cuba will be able to recover and integrate itself into the global community.

The work done in the study entitled “Infrastructure Assessment for a Transition in Cuba” is the first comprehensive study done of this nature. Sponsored by the Association of Cuban Engineers and the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers, these scholars and practitioners should be commended for the quality of their work, for their thorough analysis, and their dedication to their homeland. I hope that someday in the not too distant future, Cuban professionals on both sides of the gulf straits will be able to come together and work on such important projects.

- Dr. Andy S. Gomez

Assistant Provost and Senior Fellow Institute for Cuban & Cuban-American Studies University of Miami

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I. PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPENDIUM As a result of years of inadequate investment and neglect of repairs and maintenance, Cuba’s infrastructure has significantly deteriorated. Examples of the poor state of Cuba’s infrastructure are not difficult to identify. Throughout the report the reader will find detailed analysis of the state of the infrastructure, in areas such as transportation, energy, telecommunications, potable water, sanitation, environmental degradation, and housing. To assist a transition government in Cuba and meet humanitarian as well as reconstruction challenges significant infrastructure investments will be needed in the short term and in the long term in all sectors of the infrastructure. Sound physical infrastructure is required for any country to develop and sustain economic growth and quality of life for its citizens. It is the backbone of social and economic development, and for a transitioning Cuba, it will be critical for success. The purpose of this report is to summarize readily available information about Cuba’s current infrastructure and to provide cost estimates for the necessary improvements where possible. This report begins by providing the historical context of the current work (Section II), listing a disclaimer (Section III), and by providing a series of acknowledgments from contributors who made this work a reality (Section IV). A summary of the infrastructure needs is provided in Section V. Section V summarizes the needed improvements to six major areas of infrastructure in Cuba: architecture and urban/regional planning, transportation, water and wastewater, power, telecommunications, and healthcare infrastructure. In order to support these improvements a professional labor force will be necessary to meet the huge demand for architects, urban planners, engineers, and scientists who will ultimately design and supervise the construction projects that will improve the quality of life of those living on the Island. Section V summarizes existing conditions and recommendations for the future for each of the six infrastructure areas plus provides a series of recommendations to the educational system for producing a technical labor force that will be capable of implementing the needed upgrades to the existing infrastructure. Section V closes with an overall conclusions focusing on the order-of-magnitude investments that would be necessary to improve the infrastructure to levels that would adequately serve the current population. The main body of this compendium closes with a list of references (Section VI) and a biography of the contributing authors (Section VII). Detail and original references for the infrastructure analysis beyond the executive summary are included in the electronic appendices which are available on CD and on the internet (http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/InfrastructureAssessment.asp). The main text of this compendium is also available in Spanish at this web site.

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II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THIS WORK Large-scale studies of Cuban infrastructure were initiated in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union when there was hope for the normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. During this time period a conference was held in Miami during November 1991 focusing on Cuba’s Transition to Democracy. This conference was organized by a renowned Cuban-exile leader and activist, Jorge Mas Canosa. Dr. Manuel Cereijo, Professor at Florida International University at the time, was one of the speakers at the conference. As a result of his presentation, Jorge Mas Canosa requested that Dr. Manuel Cereijo prepare a document that focuses on Cuba’s infrastructure needs, which was subsequently sponsored by Jorge Mas Canosa. Dr. Manuel Cereijo, through Spanish radio, summoned engineers to take part in the study, at which time about 200 engineers from the community enthusiastically volunteered their time and efforts. This initiative, with significant contributions from the local community in South Florida, resulted in the 1992 comprehensive volume titled, “The Cuban Economy: Blueprint for Reconstruction.” Along a parallel path, the Miami Medical Team, lead by Dr. Manuel Alzugaray, was making significant contributions to provide humanitarian medical aid worldwide. The work of Miami Medical Team was initiated in the early 1980’s with efforts that extended globally to under-developed countries. Specific focus on Cuba by the Miami Medical Team began in 1995. The purpose of these efforts was to provide medicine for humanitarian purposes, the distribution of which was facilitated through the Catholic Church (Faith in Action). These medicines were distributed to the general population with supplemental initiatives that targeted the provision of medicine to political prisoners in Cuban jails (in 1996) and sick children (in 2000). In addition to the provision of medicine, starting in 2004 the Miami Medical Team facilitated broadcasts via Radio Marti to provide medical information geared to healthcare workers and the general public. With the change of leadership in Cuba and the socio-economic crisis in the nation, there was again rekindled hope for the normalization of relations between Cuba and the U.S. In February 2008, through the initial efforts of Gonzalo Sanchez founding member of the AIC along with the collaboration and support of the memberships of both the C-AACE and AIC, the two Cuban engineering associations located in South Florida joined efforts to address Cuba infrastructure issues by hosting a series of workshops. Given the enthusiasm that was generated through these workshops the two Cuban engineering associations initiated a series of joint subcommittees focusing on the following areas in efforts to obtain and compile more details about the existing state of Cuba’s infrastructure:

• Transportation • Water/Wastewater • Energy/Telecommunications • Healthcare Infrastructure

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This compendium is a direct result of the work of the subcommittees along with additional contributions from colleagues from the Miami Medical Team and from those in the field of Architecture to round out the overall infrastructure needs, from both an engineering and architectural perspective as well as an emphasis on the human health infrastructure needs. This document represents a unified effort among the Cuban-American community of South Florida. It is the first time that the two Cuban engineering associations, the Miami Medical Team, plus Architects in our community have contributed to a comprehensive document. This work builds upon the extensive efforts of the seminal document, “The Cuban Economy: Blueprint for Reconstruction.”

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III. DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers or of their sponsoring engineering societies. Authors’ knowledge of Cuba is based on limited information available through published information, information available from the Internet, and through interviews with recent Cuban immigrants. The quality of the information contained in this compendium would benefit from on-the-ground verification through visits to Cuba at appropriate times to confirm status that so far has only been interpreted from readily available sources outside of the island. Most importantly, the quality of the information would benefit from direct communications with professionals who are presently working in infrastructure issues within Cuba. The main text of this report is intended to be strictly technical in nature. Each contributor has their own political views which in some cases is intertwined or implied within the technical content of their original contribution. The editors of this compendium have made strong efforts to separate the technical from the political aspects in the main text of the compendium. The editors have not made the same attempt to edit the appendices which contain the original contributions by the individual authors, and for this reason, a mixture of implied politics and emotion will be apparent in some of the appendices which represents the views of that particular author. The main text of this report is intended to be entirely apolitical (no political views will be discussed nor alluded) with the exception that this work is intended for a Cuba in transition. Specifically the work is intended to assist those who wish to help Cuba address its infrastructure needs once relations are normalized between Cuba and the U.S.

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IV. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Those contributing to this work have a strong connection to the country through family history, friends, and/or professional relationships. This work has given those with this connection an outlet by which to contribute and hopefully help the country in its future when relations between the U.S. and Cuba normalize. We greatly appreciate the contributors’ enthusiasm and their desire to help Cuba, all of which was done on an entirely volunteer basis. We thank Giraldo Valdés for his input on Cuba’s educational system. We also thank Vincent Warger for the modification of Cuba’s coat of arms to include engineering images and we thank Christina Gabriele for the cover design of the CD label. We thank Luis Figueredo, Willy Gonzalez, Jerry Fernandez, and Gonzalo Sanchez for useful comments and corrections. We thank ICCAS (Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies) for posting this document on the internet (http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/InfrastructureAssessment.asp). We also thank Jorge Mas Santos for facilitating the type-setting and printing hard copies of this document through the Cuban American National Foundation, including efforts by Rene Silva, Jorge Alvarez, and Daniel Lafuente. We would also like to acknowledge our colleagues in the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy who hosted conference sessions on the topic of Cuba’s infrastructure and who permitted for the inclusion of these papers within the appendices of this compendium. The Spanish translation of this document was facilitated by Pedro Giralt and Rafael Robayna.

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V. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS This section consolidates available information about Cuba’s infrastructure, including information about Cuba’s existing transportation, water/wastewater, power, telecommunications, and healthcare infrastructure systems. Information is included with respect to urban and regional planning needs and Cuba’s architecture and the need to preserve historic buildings. Ancillary areas that are discussed in support of infrastructure and architecture needs include a discussion of the need for rights-of-way for infrastructure and an educational infrastructure to for training of architects, scientists, and engineers inside and outside of Cuba who can further identify infrastructure priorities and develop designs which take advantage of new available technologies. Each subsection describes priorities for improvements within the respective field, and provides cost estimates, where possible. More details including the original contributions from each author cited are included in the electronic appendices that are part of this compendium. A. Architecture and Urban/Regional Planning Architecture and urban/regional planning include an assessment of the existing housing stock, need for urban and regional planning – especially in the context of sustainability, and consideration of the legal aspects especially in the context of rights-of-ways needed for infrastructure development. Housing Stock Cuba and its capital, La Habana, are an architectural urban crown jewel where time has stood still for 50 years (Quintana 2011). During these 50 years, the exquisite architecture of the country has been allowed to deteriorate requiring a considerable amount of maintenance and repairs. Moreover, the housing stock has not kept up with the population increases in the urban centers thereby resulting in over-population of existing households. Exceptions include the restoration of colonial buildings in some parts of La Habana Vieja in areas targeted for increased tourist activity. According to the “Oficina Nacional de Estadisticas de Cuba (Cuba’s National Statistics Office), the current housing stock for the entire country of Cuba was reported as 3.2 million units. Given the country’s population this results in about 3.5 people per housing unit. In order to maintain population densities as per the 2002 census (3.22 people per unit) an additional 930,000 dwelling units are in need of construction. Among the existing dwelling units about 24% are estimated to be in need of replacement thereby requiring an additional 640,000 dwelling units plus an additional 130,000 dwellings needed to eliminate the rural Bohio (self-made homes of natural materials) for a grand total need of 1.6 million new dwelling units. This brings the total number of dwelling units currently needed in Cuba to 4.1 million units, which includes both existing units in either good or repairable condition plus needed new construction. A similar analysis for the city of La Habana indicates a need of an additional 180,000 dwelling units to accommodate overcrowding conditions plus the replacement of 60,000 existing units that cannot be repaired and an additional 181,000 units in need of immediate and extensive

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repair bringing the total to 421,000 units to be constructed or to be extensively upgraded. Adding to this number (421,000) to those units that are in good condition or needing only moderate repair (432,000), brings the grand total need of roughly 850,000 dwelling units for La Habana. Urban and Regional Planning Concerns have been raised about current and future urban planning as there is a need to maintain the local traditions of the urban landscape and to preserve the aesthetic quality typically predominant in the island’s existing urban centers (Quintana 2011). Urban planning should consider the recognition of La Habana’s monumental urban scale and the traditional importance of its bay. One recommendation is to restore La Habana Bay to serve as a focal point for tourism. This will require a considerable effort to divert water pollution. One option would be to move the industrial, commercial, and supply activities currently within La Habana Bay to the Bay of Mariel so that the La Habana Bay can be converted to a cruise ship port and tourist attraction center offering water-related activities, fishing opportunities including a fish market, and even a water-taxi public transport system in addition to additional transportation improvements to increase mobility in and around the Bay (Quintana 2011). Reconstruction of Cuba should be based upon a vision that combines both ecological and architectural considerations that will facilitate a transition towards a sustainable future including its urban, rural, and natural landscapes (Quintana 2011). Bueno (2011) describes a plan for a sustainable approach to the reclamation of the natural and cultural unity of La Habana and its region. An essential component of the urban regional approach is the creation of a green network of land patches and corridors that permeate the urban region of La Havana from the natural and rural landscapes to the urban landscape. This infrastructural green network is proposed to stretch across the urban region from the seashores on the north to Sierra de Anafe, Alturas de Bejucal, and Escalera de Jaruco on the south, and from Boca de Jaruco on the east to the Bay of Mariel on the west along the rivers, roads, and towns of the region. The infrastructure of the green network comprises, among other components, green networks, riparian corridors, and green roadsides (Bueno 2011). Legal Aspects From a strictly infrastructure perspective, investment in Cuba will require assurances that private property rights shall be fully protected and enforced. For infrastructure development purposes, the relevant properties must be leased or acquired through fair compensation, free of undue coercion and with protective legal safeguards (Gutiérrez 2011). A significant effort will be needed to establish the legal aspects of incentivizing and regulating the development/re-development of Cuba’s varied infrastructure needs. These legal aspects of acquiring land for infrastructure needs should be based upon the principles of stability, predictability, market incentives, transparency, property rights, and effective government (Gutiérrez 2011).

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B. Transportation The ground-vehicle transportation system in Cuba can be separated into the following primary components, the highway system, the railway system, and the public transportation sector. Additional modes of transportation via waterways and air require knowledge of seaports and airports. Highway System With respect to the highway system, there were 60,000 km of roadways in Cuba of which 20,000 km were paved in 2007 (Alfonso and Penin 2009). The primary highway is the “Carretera Central” running approximately 1,150 km along the longitudinal axis of the island along the primary drainage divide. Other notable highways include, “Circuito Sur”, “Circuito Norte”, “Carretera Granma, “Ocho Vias”, “Carretera Guantanamo – Baracoa, “Carretera Santiago – Guantanamo”, and “Autopista en Explotacion”. The state of disrepair of the roads has been documented in several reports. One states that about 3,000 km major roadways are in poor or substandard condition, whereas another documents that up to 75% of the paved roadways are in poor condition. Regardless, the roadways have been deteriorating with the rate of repair not keeping up with the rate of deterioration resulting in an overall slow decline in the condition of the highways within the country. Another notable condition of the highway system is the lack of signage, missing pavement markings, missing protective crossbars or warning lights at railroad crossings (Alfonso and Penin 2009). Railway System Since 1958, the railway system in Cuba has diminished to the 8,193 km length in 2007. The majority of the remaining railway system consists of standard gauge track (7,952 km) and is used in support of the sugar cane industry. Of the standard gauge track, 150 km are electrified and presently used for passenger service. Only 241 km of narrow gauge track is currently in existence. Current deficiencies in the railway system include unstable base conditions and the need to reinforce track bed and railway sleepers. Signage and regulatory signals are absent at grade crossings (Alfonso and Penin 2009). Public Transportation Two primary bus companies provide service in Cuba, Viazul which operates a fleet of newer coaches on long distance routes, and ASTRO which provide transportation along shorter routes. Spare parts and mechanical tools are lacking for the existing bus network, thereby limiting the available resources for maintenance (Alfonso and Penin 2009). Seaports The primary seaport in Cuba is the La Habana Bay Seaport, handling roughly 40% of the maritime cargo. The maximum draft at low tide is 42 feet and anchorage areas are ample

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allowing for up to 30 vessels. Terminals are available for bulk grains, fertilizers, coal, and petroleum products. Limitations are predominantly associated with the shortage of cranes and large fork-lift or top loader machines in working condition, thus requiring the use of roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels to handle large capacities. Handling of refrigerated cargo is also hampered by the limited availability of electricity from public utility sources, thus requiring the use of self-sustaining generator systems (Cereijo 1992). Overall Cuba has at least 44 ports and subports. Some of these additional ports include Matanzas, Mariel, Bahia Honda, Cardenas, and Nuevitas located on the northern coast of Cuba, and Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, and Caslida located on the southern coast. More details about the seaports is readily available on the internet (http://www.searates.com/port/havana_cu.htm). The Miami Medical Team c/o Alzugaray (2011) has also developed a detailed list of seaports distributed throughout the island including maps and coordinates for seaports located within each of Cuba’s provinces. Airports Cuba has many commercial airports (about 70 paved and another 95 unpaved), the largest of which is located in La Habana (José Martí International Airport). Two additional airports in La Habana include Playa Baracoa Airport and Ciudad Libertad Airport. The larger additional airports are found in Varadero (Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport), Camaguey (Ignacio Agramonte Airport), Holguin (Frank País Airport), Santiago de Cuba (Antonio Maceo Airport), Cayo Largo (Vilo Acuña Airport), Ciego de Avila (Máximo Gómez Airport), Cienfuegos (Jaime González Airport), Santa Clara (Abel Santamaría Airport), Manzanillo (Sierra Maestra), and Cayo Coco (Jardines del Rey Airport). Cuba also has at least 3 military airports. These military airports are located in La Habana (San Antonio de los Baños Air Base), Guantánamo (Naval Station Guantanamo Bay), and Pinar del Río (San Julian Air Base). Airlines that provide passenger transport to Cuba include Aero Caribbean, Aerogaviota, and Aerotaxi and the state-owned Cubana de Aviación. The Miami Medical Team c/o Alzugaray (2011) has also developed a detailed list of airports distributed throughout the island including maps and coordinates for airports located within each of Cuba’s provinces. Transportation Summary The future of Cuba’s transportation system would benefit from both short-term and long-term investments. In the short-term, quick fixes to the ground-transportation system would include the repair and improved signage of existing highways, addition of key bus service, and upgrades to the rail system, in particular upgrades to the rail foundation. The estimated cost of the short-term fixes is US $2.3 billion dollars (Alfonso and Penin 2009). Long-term solutions (10 to 20 year time frame) include the implementation of an inter-connected multi-modal transportation system that would grow and strengthen the local economy. The cost of the long-term solutions to the ground-transportation system is estimated at US $23.3 billion for a total recommended investment of US $25.6 billion. In addition to the ground transportation system, Cuba would benefit from investment in its seaport and airport facilities to improve international commerce.

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C. Water and Wastewater This subsection provides a summary of the operational and management structure of the water and wastewater system in Cuba and provides a summary of the water resources, drinking water system, and wastewater systems within the country. Operational and Management Structure Water and wastewater service is provided in Cuba through the Cuban government’s National Institute for Water Resources; with planning provided through the Ministry of Economy and Planning, with environmental standards established by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment; and with reporting of monitoring data to the Ministry of Health. For the drinking water systems within the City of La Habana and Varadero, the Institute has implemented public-private joint ventures with the Spanish-based company Aguas de Barcelona (Solo-Gabriele and Perez 2008). Privatization versus maintaining Cuba’s water and wastewater system under government control has been discussed considerably by Rodriguez Ruiz (2009) who provides a comprehensive comparison with Puerto Rico’s difficulties and successes with both privatization and public-managed water/wastewater systems. Given the similarities between Cuba and Puerto Rico with respect to geography and hydrologic resources, the Puerto Rican experiences of the privatization process would be useful to evaluate as Cuba considers a future organizational and management structure for its water and wastewater systems. Of note, the country of Chile has had a very successful privatization experience that should also be considered during Cuba’s transition (Egües, personal communication). Overview of Water Resources The water resources of Cuba are limited due to the seasonality of rainfall and the rapid movement of water from topographic ridges to the coast, limiting the availability of fresh water for drinking water consumption, agriculture, and other uses. As a result the water demand for the country is reaching the maximum “safe yield” (i.e. the flow that can be withdrawn annually without depletion of the long-term water resource). As a consequence some groundwater aquifers near the coastlines are experiencing salinity intrusion which makes these aquifers unusable because of degraded quality (Solo-Gabriele and Perez 2008) although some projects have been implemented in recent years to reduce the impacts of salinity intrusion (Cristina Ortega, personal communication). Drinking Water Drinking water within Cuba comes from either surface water or groundwater sources. Overall the country has 59 plants that treat surface water and 1,999 chlorination stations for the treatment of groundwater. Despite the number of plants, the current water treatment facilities are deficient with scarcity of chemicals and chemical dosing equipment, scarcity of appropriate sand for filter units, and intermittent availability of chlorine. Even more detrimental is the state of disrepair and lack of continuous water

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pressure within the distribution system, which limits the amount of water that can be provided to consumers and which contributes to contamination of the supplied water. Reports state that more than 50% of the water pumped through the distribution system is lost due to leaks in deteriorated piping. Although there appears to be a near match between water treatment capacity and drinking water demand, the reality is that due to the state of the distribution system, water demand is not met because it does not reliably reach the population. The highest priorities for the drinking water system are thus to increase the availability of chlorine for disinfecting water supplies (cost estimated at US $17 million with US $ 3 million annually in operation and maintenance) and to upgrade the distribution system (estimated at $3 billion plus the cost of operation and maintenance) (Cueto and De Leon 2010). Specific critical areas in need of improvements include protection of the Vento Aquifer which serves as the source of drinking water for about half of the population of La Habana. The Almendares River and its tributaries serve as the source of water to the Vento Aquifer, and the Almendares River is highly contaminated with untreated wastewater (Perez et al. 2009). Especially problematic is the direct discharge of domestic sewage and industrial waste in the headwaters of the river system within the Town of Cotorro. These discharges should be eliminated from the Almendares-Vento watershed through the removal of the waste from the watershed, its treatment, and eventual discharge to a receiving water body outside of the Almendares-Vento system (Ortega et al. 2009). A preliminary cost benefit analysis for the Town of Cotorro wastewater treatment system, found that a relatively small investment of less than $1 million US dollars can result in considerable benefits in lowering contamination of the Vento-Almendares watershed (Perez et al. 2009). Wastewater In contrast to drinking water, where treatment capacity just about matches the demand, the wastewater treatment capacity only serves a small fraction of the wastewater treatment needs in Cuba. For the entire country, information has been found for only 11 wastewater treatment plants. Three of the plants are located within the City of La Habana, two are outside the city but within the La Habana province, and the remaining 6 are located outside of La Habana province. Of the existing wastewater treatment plants between 2 to 5 are considered operational. Reports also suggest that plans have been developed for the construction of six new wastewater treatment plants within the City of La Habana, two within the Almendares River watershed and four within the La Habana Bay watershed. If all of the existing wastewater treatment plants were operational and all of the proposed new plants were also operational, these collective plants could treat only one-fifth of the wastewater generated with the country’s urban areas. Thus considerable investment is needed to increase the wastewater treatment capacity and also to construct the wastewater collection system needed to transport the wastewater from the source towards the centralized treatment plants. The cost for rehabilitation and construction of additional wastewater treatment plants for Cuba’s 15 major cities is estimated at about $550 million US dollars. The added costs for the wastewater collection system is estimated at $1.5 billion US dollars for a grand total of $2 billion US dollars needed to upgrade the wastewater collection and treatment systems within Cuba (Cueto and De Leon 2010).

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Water and Wastewater Summary Overall, the water and wastewater infrastructure of Cuba is in need of repair and upgrades. The majority of the investments are needed for the water distribution and wastewater collection systems, with the costs for upgrading or constructing water and wastewater treatment plants representing a small fraction of the costs needed to upgrade the distribution and collection networks. Essentially the bulk of the costs for upgrading the water and wastewater system are associated with the networks (e.g. “pipes”) needed to distribute drinking water and to collect wastewater. A gap assessment is recommended to further prioritize infrastructure needs in the context of economic resources (Solo-Gabriele and Perez 2008). The gap assessment should include an integrated water resources plan, evaluation of alternatives, assessment of costs, community affordability studies, and plan selection.

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D. Power This section summarizes the existing power capacity and transmission/distribution system in Cuba and provides a summary of power needs. Recent developments in oil exploration are also summarized. Power Capacity As of 2008, the total installed power capacity in Cuba was estimated at 4,900 MW (Cereijo 2010a). This capacity includes the 3,000 MW of thermoelectric power generation produced by Unión Eléctrica, Cuba’s national power utility which encompasses 17 plants. Among these 17 plants, 7 are characterized by a production capacity of greater than 50 MW (Antonio Maceo, formerly Rente – 450 MW, Antonio Guiteras, Matanzas - 330 MW, Lidio Ramón Pérez, Felton - 500 MW, Máximo Gómez, Mariel – 450 MW, 10 de Octubre, Nuevitas – 503 MW, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cienfuegos – 382 MW, Este de Habana, Santa Cruz del Norte – 300 MW). The thermoelectric plants do not run at full capacity due to their old age and lack of maintenance coupled with the use of domestic oil as fuel which is corrosive to the plant infrastructure. Outside of the 3000 MW thermoelectric capacity, an additional 1500 MW is provided by series of relatively small generators distributed throughout the island in clusters referred to as “batteries”. This system of distributed “batteries” is collectively referred to as the “Grupo Electrogeno.” The objective of the Grupo Electrogeno is to generate power close to the demand point to minimize transmission losses. The units within a “battery” have start and stop control systems according to the load demands, to increase efficiency. The batteries have been located in 116 of the 169 municipalities of the island. The generators that make up the batteries use either diesel or fuel oil. Such fuels are expensive and represent a very inefficient method of providing electricity to Cuba (Cereijo 2008). The balance of the power capacity in Cuba is made up of natural gas (395 MW), biomass (3.6 MW), and wind farming (1.5 MW). The power production via natural gas is run through Energas S.A., a joint venture between a Cuban state-owned company (Cupet, Unión Eléctrica) and a Canadian Corporation (Sherritt International). Energas was established to promote the use of technologies capable of cleaning and processing natural gas that results from their domestic oil production facilities. Biomass and wind farming supplement the existing “Grupo Electrogeno” power facilities for Cuba’s largest island, Isla de la Juventud. The 3.6 MW biomass gasifier plant was started in 2005 and was the first diesel-biomass hybrid installation in Cuba. The 1.5 MW wind farm is located on the northern part of the Juventud Island where optimal wind conditions were found for producing electricity (Cereijo 2008). Transmission and Distribution The power transmission and distribution system consists of 9,300 km of sub-transmission at 33 kV, 27,382 km of secondary distribution at 4.16 kV, and 34,540 km of primary

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distribution at 13.8 kV. The transmission and distribution system is characterized by large losses due to the poor technology used in the supports used to mount the conductors which is exacerbated by theft of metal and parts from the lines coupled with minimal maintenance and replacement of missing hardware and lines. Summary of Power Needs Cuba’s power system is in need of significant upgrades. Of the 4900 MW total installed capacity, about 3,200 MW (65%) consists of generating capacity. The entire energy infrastructure, from refineries to power-generating plants to electrical grids to local wiring, is in an advanced state of decay, and will require significant investment to upgrade. Cereijo (2010a) estimates that US $3 billion will be necessary to bring the generating capacity of the 7 large existing thermoelectric plants up to the design capacity. This US $3 billion estimate includes US $400 million to expand the capacity by 500 MW beyond the existing installed power. Of note, three hurricanes impacted Cuba during 2008 and these hurricanes are estimated to have added an additional US $1.2 billion dollars in damages to the system which will likely increase the 2008 cost estimate to about US $4.2 billion (Cereijo 2010b). Modernization of Cuba’s power infrastructure should consider both the development of a smart grid and smart generation. Future power generation will rely heavily upon the decision to utilize fuel oil versus natural gas and to supplement power production with alternative technologies that rely on wind, biomass, solar and/or nuclear power (Cereijo 2010b). Currently liquid fuel is primarily utilized at the thermoelectric plants and within the generators that make up the “Grupo Electrogeno.” Liquid fuel is very expensive and not sustainable given current economic costs. Without subsidies from the Venezuelan government and with crude oil prices at US $140 per bbl, Unión Eléctrica’s annual economic loss would be almost US $3 billion, as the rates it charges its customers are significantly below full cost recovery rates. During a transition where subsidies from the Venezuelan government would no longer exist, a major reform of the sector would be necessary to decrease reliance on liquid fuels to more cost effective technologies in the free market (Belt 2008). Recent Developments in Oil Exploration Several international energy companies are making a push to find oil in Cuba. It is anticipated that in 2011 exploratory drillings will take place, sponsored likely by a consortium led by Spain’s Repsol in coordination with Norway’s Statoil and India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. Other investments in oil include Russia’s Gazprom which purchased 30% stake in four Cuban offshore exploration blocks, Malaysia’s Petronas which has leased rights to oil exploration areas, and Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA. Estimates for the amount of oil range from 4.6 to 20 billion barrels. Any oil would be likely difficult to extract, as the potential reserves lie beneath exceptionally deep waters (Cereijo 2010a). Oil production in Cuba, if successful, could potentially transform the country and end its current dependence on subsidized Venezuelan oil.

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E. Telecommunications Cereijo (2010c) evaluated the existing telecommunications system in Cuba and recommended an interim plan for the essential communications with the rest of the world (after a transition from the current government), and provided an order of magnitude analysis for the cost to modernize the current network to meet the short and the long-term needs. Existing Telecommunications System and Cost of Upgrades As of 1994, Monterey, Mexico holding company Grupo Domos Internacional, through their subsidiary CITEL (Corporacion Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones), purchased 49% interest in the Cuban phone system for a reported US $1.5 billion. The Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba, S. A. (ETECSA) was thus created as a private joint venture and separated from the Cuban Ministry of Telecommunications. As of February 2011, Telecom Italia sold its participation of ETECSA to Rafin, S.A, a firm owned by the Cuban government. Telecom Italia will receive US $760 million dollars for its part in ETECSA. Although ETECSA was separated from the Ministry of Telecommunications, and was established as a private joint venture, the Ministry continues to regulate the phone system and set rates. ETECSA has authority over: national and international basic telephone services, radio and TV signals conduction, data transmission, telex service, public phone booth services, added value telecommunication services, interactive and multimedia services development, cellular telephony, and internet services. Cereijo (2010c) estimated the economic value of the existing equipment at US $289 million and also estimates that an investing company will be required to have a capital outlay in the range of US $1.700 billion to adequately provide service for the anticipated long term demand. This outlay can be reduced through the purchase of used equipment. In the late 1990s ETECSA started to introduce digital telephony, and fiber optics within Cuba’s telephone system. ETECSA has invested US $15 million to improve the company's fixed-line infrastructure (fiber optic) in the last 5 years. In total, the original estimate of 9,850 km of fiber optic cable installed within Cuba has been increased to 15,850 km (Cereijo 2010c). ETECSA has invested US $10 million in fiber optic cable and related equipment to improve the company's fixed-line infrastructure. The investment and work has been done in conjunction with the Peoples Republic of China, which has worked very closely with Cuba since 2004 to improve telecommunications. Cubacel is the business unit of ETECSA, and offers mobile telephony services, voice mail, credit card validation, and national and international roaming in the cities of La Habana, Varadero, Santiago de Cuba, Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo. Expansion of Plans Mobile and internet penetration in Cuba is very low in comparison to neighboring Latin American and the Caribbean countries and there exists incredible opportunity for expansion in the event that government controls are lifted. One critical aspect of an

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expansion is the installation of a fiber optic cable to connect Cuba with other countries. Current plans include the installation of a fiber optic cable between Venezuela and Cuba at an estimated cost of US $80 million with plans for completion by the end of 2011. Some plans have also been initiated for a fiber optic cable to interconnect Cuba with southern Florida. Until a fiber optic cable is in place, Cuba has to rely on satellites for international connectivity. To achieve a sustainable market-based telecommunications system, Cuba will need extensive policy and regulatory training and technical assistance to develop a telecommunications policy and a legal and regulatory structure that would attract private investment and promote competition to expand and modernize the telecommunications infrastructure at affordable prices.

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F. Healthcare Infrastructure Assessment of the healthcare infrastructure should not only consider the inventory of the physical facilities and human resources, but also the organizational structure as given by a three-tiered system currently in place within the country. Also upon a transition, a medical response plan will be needed and one such plan has been developed as briefly described below. Tiered Healthcare System Healthcare in Cuba consists of a three tier system (Martinez 2009). These tiers include healthcare tourism, the healthcare afforded to the local Cuban population, and the exportation of Cuban doctors to Cuba’s trade partners. Cuba has invested resources into elite hospitals which are designed to provide high level and sometimes experimental procedures which may not be approved or permitted within other countries. Access to these elite facilities is primarily limited to tourists capable of paying premium prices for this level of care. The local population, on the other hand, is typically serviced by community doctors who visit the homes of their patients. This type of service usually results in doctors integrating into the community they serve, thus providing them with an opportunity to learn more about their patients. However, community doctors many times are not paid very well (typically US $15 per month) and many times they lack basic medical supplies. Moreover, clinics that service the local population many times lack equipment for diagnosis and treatment. Cuba’s educational infrastructure is in place for training medical doctors, many of which are exported to other countries in trade for resources needed as identified by the Cuban government (Martinez 2009). Because of the exportation of doctors for trade purposes, Cuba’s local community is many times lacking an adequate number of doctors. Inventory of Healthcare System The Miami Medical Team c/o Alzugaray (2011) has developed a plan for reconstruction of Cuba’s healthcare system. They have developed an inventory of Cuba’s health-related resources including physical and human resources. The human resource is well organized into 43 regions and 332 areas. The number of medical personnel include an estimated 72,000 medical doctors, 9,000 dentists, 120,000 nurses, 100,000 medical technicians, and between 80,000 and 100,000 healthcare workers. The physical infrastructure includes 284 hospitals with 36 in La Habana, 46 in the remaining part of the Province of La Habana, with the remaining 202 hospitals outside of the La Habana province. The total number of hospital beds is estimated at 60,000. In addition to the 284 hospitals in Cuba there are an additional 440 clinics, 182 nursing homes, 22 blood banks, 12 biotechnology centers. The biotechnology centers include the Center for Genetic Engineering (Cubanacan), BIOCEN-Vaccines (Bejucal), Carlos Finlay Institute – Vaccines (La Lisa), Institute for Tropical Medicine, Center of Molecular Immunology, and the Institute of Zoology (Reparto Atabey).

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Medical Response Plan In the event of a transition, the Miami Medical Team has developed a plan for implementation of an improved healthcare system including provisions for food, medical waste disposal, general waste disposal, and considerations given towards improvements to the potable water supply and sanitary sewer system. Their plan includes considerations during an initial emergency phase followed by considerations during a saturation phase. The plan includes an inventory of air and sea transport facilities within the country for the provision of critical medical supplies plus a series of documents that would be useful for hospital inspection and evaluation.

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G. Educational System for Technically Equipped Labor Force Cuba will need to expand its current training of engineers, architects, and scientists in support of the basic infrastructure upgrades needed for the country. The approach for educating Cuba’s future engineering and architectural work force will likely involve a multi-pronged approach which would require an evaluation of the educational plan, an improvement to the physical educational infrastructure, coupled with increasing the capacity of the human resource. Evaluation of Educational Plan The evaluation of the education plan should begin with an assessment of the engineering disciplines offered at the University level coupled with a re-evaluation of the curricula. Examination of the curricula should focus on: (1) repackaging of the basic mathematics sequence to ensure that it provides the appropriate background for modern engineering practice and career long learning, (2) evaluating basic science requirements with the objective of combining introductory engineering material in the three basic natural sciences, (3) integration of the humanities, social sciences, economics, ethics into the overall engineering curriculum, (4) emphasis on elements of engineering practice such as design, manufacturing, and construction process, (5) deletion of disciplinary specialization in the current programs, and its replacement by concentration on fundamental engineering principles and practice, and (6) opportunities for entrepreneurship and research opportunities that promote business and critical thinking skills. Physical Educational Infrastructure A considerable investment will likely be necessary to improve the physical infrastructure of engineering education in Cuba. Laboratory facilities will likely need to be updated to include new communication technologies which may have been had limited influence in the educational system due to lack of resources and philosophies of the political regime. The infrastructure of managing the educational enterprise including academic computing and administrative functions will likely need to be re-evaluated to make the system more efficient, capable of handling a larger number of students within the engineering. Training of Human Resource A significant investment will be needed in training the human resource, the faculty, graduates, and students. As a minimum, training will be needed in new communication technologies, open market procurement, and entrepreneurship. Faculty training can be facilitated through sabbatical visits by Cuban faculty to Universities in the U.S. and abroad and through the recruitment of faculty from outside the country for temporary or long-term exchange within Cuba. Training of the existing workforce in new technologies can be facilitated through continued education programs, which can be possibly implemented through the existing University system in Cuba. Student education in Cuba should include an emphasis on undergraduate training in design, manufacturing and

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processing coupled with critical thinking and research experiences. Training of students in Cuba can be supplemented with the training of exceptional Cuban students in other countries including the U.S. and other nations. The estimated cost for training students at the PhD level is roughly US $55,000 (tuition plus living expenses) per year of study. For students entering graduate school directly from the BS the time to attain a Ph.D. is estimated at 4 years. For students entering graduate school with an MS, the time to attain a Ph.D. is estimated at 3 years. Depending upon language capabilities of the student, additional time and funds may be needed for training in the native language in the country of study.

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H. Conclusion Cuba has very significant needs for infrastructure improvements. Considerable investments are needed in the housing market, including the significant repair or new construction of 421,000 new homes within the city of La Habana and 1.6 million new dwelling units for the entire country. Efforts should focus on preservation of the unique colonial architecture and on sustainable urban and regional planning. The transportation system would benefit from both short-term and long-term investments. For the ground transportation system, the estimated cost for short-term solutions (repair of the existing infrastructure) is estimated at roughly US $2.3 billion dollars. The cost of long-term solutions including implementation of an inter-connected multi-modal transportation system is estimated at an additional US $23 billion. The water and wastewater system is also in need of significant improvements. We estimate that the drinking water and wastewater systems would benefit from a US $3 billion dollar and US $2 billion dollar investments respectively (plus operation and maintenance). The bulk of this cost would be associated with the need to repair and upgrade deteriorating distribution and wastewater collection pipe networks. Of note, very significant improvements to environmental protection of water resources can be obtained with relatively small investments (on the order of US $1 million) such as that which can be obtained by diverting wastewater from the Town of Cotorro in the southern part of La Habana. The existing power system would benefit from US $4.2 billion dollars of investment to bring the generating capacity of the 7 large existing thermoelectric plants up to design capacity. The most recent developments of the telecommunications systems is the installation of a new fiber optic cable between Cuba and Venezuela which will provide the capacity for significantly more interconnectivity. The healthcare infrastructure in Cuba, in particular the healthcare infrastructure available to the Cuban population, would benefit from the provision of basic medical supplies and equipment which in many areas are scarce or are in poor working order. The higher education system would also benefit from improvements to the educational plan for engineering studies, improvements to the physical infrastructure, and provision of additional training opportunities to the human resource. In all, Cuba would benefit from considerable investments in all areas of infrastructure and in areas that are in support of the country’s infrastructure. The investments needed, we estimate, are on the order of many tens of billions of U.S. dollars.

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VI. REFERENCES Alfonso Jr., S., and Penin, C.A., 2009. Transportation Infrastructure in a Free Cuba: How to Meet Demands in a Challenging Economic Environment. Papers and Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 19, p. 487-492. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume19/pdfs/alfonsopeninetal.pdf (Also available in Appendix B, with accompanying powerpoint presentation) Belt, J.A.B., 2008. The Power Sector in Cuba: Financial and Economic Considerations. Papers and Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 18, p. 361-369. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume18/pdfs/belt.pdf (Also available in Appendix D) Bueno, J., 2011. Green Infrastructure for the Urban Regions of Cuba. Copyright Juan Antonio Bueno, All rights reserved. (Also available in Appendix A) Cereijo, M., editor, 1992. The Cuban Economy: Blueprint for Reconstruction. Cuban American National Foundation, Miami, FL. (Also available in Appendix G) Cereijo, M. 2008. Cuba’s Power Sector: 1998-2008. Papers and Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 18, p. 370-377. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume18/pdfs/cereijo.pdf (Also available in Appendix D) Cereijo, M. 2010a. Republic of Cuba, Power Sector Infrastructure Assessment, Report. (Available in Appendix D, with accompanying Powerpoint presentation and executive summary) Cereijo, M., 2010b. Republic of Cuba, Power Sector Infrastructure Evaluation After the Hurricanes, Powerpoint Presentation. (Powerpoint presentation only; available in Appendix D) Cereijo, M., 2010c. Republic of Cuba Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment, Report. (Available in Appendix E, with accompanying Powerpoint presentation and executive summary)

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Cueto, J., and De Leon, O., 2010. Evaluation of Cuba’s Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Including High-Priority Improvements and Order-of-Magnitude Costs. Papers and Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 20, Appendix B. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume20/pdfs/Cuetoanddeleon.pdf (Also available in Appendix C with accompanying Powerpoint presentation) Gutiérrez, N., 2011. Land Assessment Needs for Infrastructure Right-of-Way. Gutiérrez, Zarraluqui, & Franco LLP, Coral Gables, FL. (Also available in Appendix A) Martinez, P., 2009. Cuba’s Healthcare. Presented during the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, Florida. (Powerpoint only; available in Appendix F) Miami Medical Team c/o Dr. Manuel Alzugaray, 2011. Cuba Reconstruction. The Miami Medical Team, Miami, FL. (Powerpoint presentation only; available in Appendix G) Ortega-Castineiras, C., Kajder, K., and Ramoutar, R., 2009. Conceptual Design of a Wastewater Treatment Plant for the Municipality of Cotorro, Province of Havana, Cuba. Papers and Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 19, p. 309-316. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume19/pdfs/ortega.pdf (Also available in Appendix C with accompanying Powerpoint presentation) Quintana, N., 2011. Architecture and Urban Planning in Cuba, the Ubiquitous Archive of History: Present Situation and Future Needs. (Also available in Appendix A) Perez, A.I., Cardona, R., Locay, L., Solo-Gabriele, H.M., 2010. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Priorities for Cuba with an Emphasis on Havana, Including some Benefit-Cost Considerations. Papers and Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 19, p. 472-486. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume19/pdfs/perezcardonaetal.pdf (Also available in Appendix C with accompanying Powerpoint presentation) Rodriguez Ruiz, J., 2009. Privatization or Self-Strengthening for the Water Sector in Cuba?: Lessons Learned from the Water Sector in Puerto Rico. Papers and Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 19, p. 467-471. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume19/pdfs/rodriguez_ruiz.pdf (Also available in Appendix C with accompany Powerpoint presentation)

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Solo-Gabriele, H.M., and Perez, A.I., 2008. Cuba’s Water and Wastewater Sector: Environmental Literature, Institutional and Economic Issues and Future Work. Papers and Proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy (ASCE) held in Miami, FL. Cuba in Transition: Volume 18, p. 378-389. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume18/pdfs/sologabriele.pdf (Also available in Appendix C with accompanying Powerpoint presentation)

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VII. BIOGRAPHIES OF CONTRIBUTORS (Alphabetical Order) Sergio Alfonso Jr., P.E. Sergio Alfonso, Jr., is originally from Cuba. With 38 years of engineering experience, he has worked in leadership and management positions for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and engineering consulting firms. During his tenure at the FDOT he was responsible for all internal design for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Presently he is Executive Vice President and co-founder of Marlin Engineering Inc., an engineering consulting firm which specializes in traffic engineering, surveying, and construction management. During his 38 years of experience, he has worked on hundreds of transportation projects throughout Florida. Among the major projects to his credit are Golden Glades Park & Ride Parking Lot, Sawgrass Express Way Section 5, I-95 HOV lane in Broward County, McArthur Causeway, and SW 137 Avenue from Bird Road to Coral Way in Miami-Dade County. Mr. Alfonso received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Florida International University in 1980 and successfully became a Florida Professional Engineer in 1982. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the states of North Carolina and California. Mr. Alfonso is a fellow member with American Society of Civil Engineers and Institute of Transportation Engineers. He also holds professional status with the Florida Engineering Society and the National Society of Professional Engineers. Mr. Alfonso currently chairs the Cuba Transportation Assessment Committee. Mr. Alfonso was the recipient of the Francisco de Albear Award in 2010. Manuel A. Alzugaray, M.D. Dr. Manuel Alzugaray, born in Cuba, is the President of the Miami Medical Team Foundation, a humanitarian aid organization that has provided healthcare relief during the past 30 years to over 23 countries within 4 continents. The organization has provided medical/surgical assistance and transportation of donations to Nicaraguan refugees in Honduras and Costa Rica, donation of humanitarian supplies to Chile after the 1985 earthquake, medical assistance to El Salvador after the 1986 earthquake, donation of medical equipment to Peru, donation of hospital equipment and mediations to Angolan refugees in 1988, and donation of a 50 bed field hospital in Afghanistan, medical assistance to victims of the 1992 Hurricane Andrew in South Florida, provision of medical services to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and so on with impacts made to many other countries including Panama, Ecuador, Poland, Dominican Republic, South Florida after Hurricane Andrew, Antigua, Belize, Paraguay, and donations of medicine for sick children and prisoners in Cuba. Dr. Manuel Alzugaray is an orthopaedic surgeon who currently runs a private practice in Miami, Florida. He has medical board licenses in Florida, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic

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Surgery, American College of Forensic Examiners, and American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He is a member of the American, Florida, Southern, and Dade Medical Associations and a member of the International College of Surgeons, Southern Orthopedic Association, and Cuban Medical Association in Exile. Dr, Alzugaray has provided conference presentations in Orthopedic Surgery in Egypt, Isreal, India, and Kenya. He has provided conference presentations in war medicine in Honduras, Miami, and Angola. He has written dozens of articles in newspapers, magazines focusing on the Reconstruction of Cuba. Dr. Alzugaray has served in the U.S. Army and Army reserves and he is a member of the Cuban American Veterans Association. Juan A. B. Belt Juan A. B. Belt was born in La Habana, Cuba. In 2009, when he retired from the US Senior Foreign Service, he received the Administrators Distinguished Career Service Award, the Agency’s highest. He began his career working for the World Bank in Latin America, Europe and Africa, designing agricultural and natural resource projects, and in the development of national strategies for those sectors. From 1983 to 1998 he worked for the USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development). During this period he was Chief Economist of the Global Bureau, Deputy Director in Guatemala (1995-97) and also served as head of economics offices in USAID missions in El Salvador (1992-95), Costa Rica (1989-92) and Panama (1983-86). He designed the budget support program for Grenada in the aftermath of the US intervention there. From 1998 to 2004 he was the Principal Economist of a Finance and Infrastructure Office at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) where he worked on infrastructure, competitiveness and financial sector programs in the Andean countries and the Caribbean. At the IDB he was the team leader for telecommunications projects in Surinam, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana; information and communications technology (ICT) projects in Guyana, Jamaica, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago; finance and secured transactions projects in Guyana; competitiveness programs in Colombia and Peru; transport programs in Guyana and Ecuador; and power sector programs in Colombia and Ecuador. He returned to USAID from 2004 to 2009 where he served as the Director of the Infrastructure and Engineering Office which included priority missions in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan, Haiti and Pakistan. He was personally involved in the design of a program in Colombia to provide rural connectivity using wireless technologies; and support for energy reforms in Honduras, Colombia and Nicaragua. Currently Juan Belt is a Director at Chemonics International, a management consulting firm in Washington, DC. He has published several peer-reviewed articles, including three recent ones on the electric power sector and on infrastructure in general in Cuba and an article on ICT as a tool to increase transparency and reduce corruption. He has recently completed a chapter for a book focusing on Cuba that was published by the Brookings Institution. Juan Belt studied economics at Georgetown, American, and Cornell, and has taught economics at universities in the US and Latin America.

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Juan Antonio Bueno Juan Antonio Bueno is originally from Cuba. He is currently a Professor of Landscape Architecture at Florida International University, where he has also served as Founding Dean of the College of Architecture and The Arts, Dean of the School of Architecture, Director of the School of Design, and Director of the Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture. He completed his graduate education in landscape architecture at the Graduate School of Design of Harvard University and his undergraduate education in engineering at the University of Miami. He is a registered landscape architect and professional engineer in the State of Florida. Academically, his research focuses on the South Florida landscapes, the Spanish patio and cloister, and the natural and cultural landscapes of La Habana, including the research, planning and design project for the urban region of La Habana and Its Landscapes. Professionally, his practice involves the planning and design of regions and communities, parks and greenways, as well as plazas, gardens, and patios. He shares his professional practice with his wife, the architect and landscape architect Teresita Falcón, at the Coral Gables firm of Falcón and Bueno. He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the Landscape Architecture Program at Harvard University. He has won national and international design competitions and has received numerous awards from the American Society of Landscape Architecture for design projects, visionary work, teaching and research, and service and communications. His work has been widely published in the academic and professional literature as well as exhibited in North America, South America, and Europe. Manuel Cereijo, D. Sc., P.E. Manuel Cereijo is originally from Cuba. He has over 38 years of academic experience as a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and as Associate Dean, Acting Chair, Acting Dean, for the College of Engineering at Florida International University. As Associate Dean, he assisted the Dean in establishing the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which has since changed to the College of Engineering and Design. This includes formulating and implementing administration and educational policies. The College had a budget over $7 million, l200 students, and 70 faculty members. During his tenure at Florida International University, he developed the Biomedical Research and Innovation Center, BRIC, in conjunction with the City of Miami, initiated and developed the Hialeah Productivity Improvement Center, HPIC, project to study how to retain and create new manufacturing industries in South Florida, created the Institute for Enhancement of Teaching, and created a permanent committee on Research and Development for the College. He served as the director of FEEDS (Florida Engineering Education Delivery System) and also as Acting

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Chair for Industrial Engineering for two years. He is a member of the Guidance Committee of the American Society for Engineering Education. Dr. Cereijo has over 18 years of industrial experience in design and development of engineering systems. Dr. Cereijo is presently lecturer at the College of Engineering, University of Miami and has founded his own engineering consulting firm, Profesional Advancement Corporation, where he serves as President. He is a Continuing Education Provider for the Florida Board of Professional Engineers since 2001. Manuel Cereijo has authored several books, research reports, monographs, and more than 700 articles. He holds three patents in the areas of manufacturing, telecommunications, and control systems. He is the editor and director of the comprehensive document, The Cuban Economy: Blueprint for Reconstruction. He has authored 8 monographs, book chapters, and special reports related to Cuba, in areas that focus on Telecommunications, Power, as well as Cuba’s facilities in Cybernetic and Biological Research Centers. Dr. Cereijo obtained the Lifetime award by HENAAC for educational achievements. He was selected to receive the Hispanic Achievement Award for Science by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. He has also received the College Level - Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the Hispanic Engineer National Association. He has been selected to be in the National Hispanic Engineer Hall of Fame and has been nationally and internationally recognized by associations, engineering groups, and the United States Senate and Congress. Manuel Cereijo has testified in Congressional Committees on topic areas that include the Nuclear Power Energy Development of Cuba, Bioengineering Centers, and Cyber facilities. Dr. Cereijo has multiple and on-going appearances on local, national, and international radio and TV shows and news, as an expert on technological and engineering matters. Carlos M. Gil-Mera, P.E. Carlos M. Gil-Mera was born in La Habana, Cuba. For the past eleven years, he has served as a Principal in A&P Consulting Transportation Engineers, Corp., a multi-disciplinary, consulting engineering firm based in Miami-Dade County specializing in roadway design, water resources and wastewater disposal, traffic engineering, transportation planning, construction management and construction engineering and inspection services. As Principal of APCTE, Mr. Gil-Mera is responsible for the day to day operations of the office, marketing, client relations, and project management. He also serves as the Engineer of Record for some of the firm’s design roadway projects. Mr. Gil-Mera began his professional career working for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in 1986 as a PE Trainee, and later on became a Roadway Project Engineer and a Project Manager for the internal design office of FDOT District VI.

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Mr. Gil-Mera is currently the President of the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers (C-AACE). He has been an active member of the C-AACE since 1983, when he received the Jose A. Vila Espinosa Scholarship. Since then, he has served on different Association committees and has been an active member of the Board of Directors since 2002. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Florida Engineering Society (FES). Mr. Gil-Mera received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from Florida International University in 1986 and became a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Florida in 1991. He acquired his Certified General Contractor license in 1992 and his Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor license in the State of Florida in 1997. Pedro P. Giralt, P.E. Pedro P. Giralt, P.E., was born in Camaguey, Cuba and emigrated to the U.S. in 1961. He is currently President of Giralt Enterprises, Inc., a 23-year old company that specializes in the supply and design of seawalls, docks, handrails, sheet pilings and all types of metal fabrication. His company provides these services throughout Florida and overseas. Projects have included Matheson Hammock Marina, Palm Beach Marina, handrails for the I-595 extension, a multitude of seawalls and docks at Broward County Parks and a multitude of pedestrian bridges. Within his company, Pedro Giralt manages operations, and leads marketing, sales and design. Pedro Giralt holds two patents on a picket handrail design, a product that received the Statewide 2006 Florida Engineering Society “New Product Award,” and the 2007 National Society of Professional Engineers “New Product Award.” Pedro Giralt is a Board Member and Past-President of the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers, as well as Past-President of the South Florida Chapter of the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Florida Engineering Society. He is a graduate of The University of Florida, with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds an Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Florida. Pedro Giralt is also a Private Pilot, with a Single Engine Land - Instrument Rating, and has more than 1,600 hours of flying time. He is currently a Board Member of the Cessna Pilots Society.

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Andy S. Gomez, Ph.D. Dr. Andy Gomez was born in La Habana, Cuba. He currently serves as Assistant Provost at the University of Miami and as Senior Fellow at the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS). At UM, Gomez also served as Dean of the School of International Studies (2002 – 2004). Dr. Gomez’ research agenda focuses on the ideological and psychological reconstruction of human values and attitudes in a post-Castro Cuba. He also teaches several courses at UM, including Cuba after Castro and The Cuban Revolution. Gomez lectures extensively on Cuba’s transition at many national and international conferences, government seminars, and serves as a consultant on Cuba issues to ABC News. Before joining the University of Miami, Gomez served as the Undersecretary of Education and Chief of Staff at the Executive Office of Education in Boston, MA (1991 – 1994). Prior to his time in Massachusetts, he served in several capacities at the University of Houston, including Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Special Assistant to the President, Executive Director of University Relations, Special Assistant to the Chancellor, and Assistant Professor of Public Administration (1984 – 1991). Dr. Gomez received his Doctor of Education in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University (1993), a Master’s in Education also from Harvard University (1991), a Master’s in Public Administration from Florida International University (1978), and his B.A. in International Studies at the University of Miami (1976). Dr. Gomez serves on the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-Americas Studies (ICCAS) Advisory Board and was recently appointed Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy program (Cuba) at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Gomez recently served as a delegate to the Organization of American States (OAS) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Nicolás Gutiérrez, Jr., Esq. Nicolás Gutiérrez is of Cuban-American heritage born in Cost Rica of Cuban parents and was raised in the US. Nicolás J. Gutiérrez, Jr., is a founding partner at GUTIÉRREZ, ZARRALUQUI & FRANCO, LLP. After several years at some of this area’s most prestigious law firms, Mr. Gutiérrez commenced his own law practice in 1997. Mr. Gutiérrez concentrates his practice in providing legal counsel to international clients for inbound and outbound business transactions, with an emphasis on Latin America. He has extensive experience in corporate, governmental relations, confiscated property claims, international trade, financing and asset control regulatory matters. Mr. Gutiérrez is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and has received an “A-V” rating from Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest professional distinction obtainable by attorneys.

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Nicolás Gutiérrez was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to three consecutive terms on the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District. He served as Vice-Chairman for one term and as Chairman of the Board for two terms. Nicolás Gutiérrez currently serves as Chairman of the Florida Energy Forum. He is the President and a twelve-term Director of the National Association of Sugar Mill Owners of Cuba, as well as a member of the Cuba Legal Transition Committee of the Cuban-American Bar Association.

Nicolás Gutiérrez has been the recipient of the following distinguished recognitions in 2004-2011: (i) listed among the “Top Lawyers in South Florida”, South Florida Legal Guide, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011. Annual Editions, in the specific fields of Corporate and Governmental Relations; (ii) listed among “Best Lawyers”, LegalForce Media Publications, 2009 Edition; (iii) “The Achiever” Award, Miami Today (February, 2005), thereby being profiled in this publication’s corresponding 2006 “Book of Leaders”; (iv) the “Heavy Hitters in Health Care” Award, South Florida Business Journal (February, 2005); (v) recipient of the “Young Hispanic Leadership Award”, Union Planters Bank/Hispanic Heritage Council (2004); (vi) selected among the “Fifty Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business”, Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology, for both 2005 and 2006; and (vi) listed in the national Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, 2006 through 2011.

Nicolás Gutiérrez received his B.A. degree in economics, politics and public affairs from the University of Miami and his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Luis Locay, Ph.D. Luis Locay is originally from Cuba. He is currently Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL specializing in economic growth and development, industrial organization, and applied microeconomics. Prior to this time he worked as an Assistant Professor, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Department of Economics. Luis Locay has published numerous articles in scholarly journals including “Economic Development and the Division of Production Between Households and Markets,” and "Price Discrimination in Competitive Markets," (coauthor Rodriguezboth in the Journal of Political Economy, "Are User Fees Regressive? The WelfareImplications of Health Care Financing Proposals in Peru," in the Journal of Econometrics(coauthors Gertler and Sanderson), and “Entrepreneurship and productivity: The slowgrowth of the planned economies,” in the Review of Economic Dynamics. Luis Locay hasalso written extensively on Cuban issues, including healthcare, remittances, labor andinformal markets, and property restitution. He is currently working on developinginternationally comparable measures of Cuban living standards. Luis Locay received hisB.A. in economics and his B.S. in mathematics from the University of California, Davis andhis Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.

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P.L. “Pete” Martinez Pete Martinez was born in Cuba. He is Chairman of the Board of Palm Beach Medical Education Corporation, a state-of-the-art, for-profit innovation in healthcare, technology and education. He is also Co-Chairman of Cloud Industries Health, a visionary technology and services enterprise. A former IBM Vice President of Global Business Services, he was also Senior Executive for IBM South Florida and Vice President of IBM Global Services, Latin America. With a strong technology foundation, Pete Martinez has been able to define creative solutions to business problems. He has over 30 patents and technical publications in the areas of: healthcare, computer architecture, robotics, optical disks and display technology. Martinez is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences and has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, ABC News, The Economist, Univision and CNN. Pete Martinez is a Faculty and Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a visiting professor at Florida International University. Additionally, he is Chairman of the Florida Research Consortium Board of Directors, Chair of the University of Miami School of Engineering Advisory Board, Chair of the Florida International University School of Computer Science Advisory Board, member of Florida Atlantic University’s Engineering Advisory Board and is a member of the Florida International University MBA Advisory Board. Pete Martinez is a Trustee of the Palm Healthcare Foundation. Pete Martinez holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Miami where he was named the Distinguished Alumnae (1998) and a Member of the Tau Beta Pi and Iron Arrow Honor Societies. In 2002 he was awarded the “Engineer of the Year” by the Association of Cuban Engineers, and in 2004 was inducted into the Miami‐Dade College Hall of Fame. Florida International University bestowed the 2007 Cal Kovens Service Medallion Award on Pete Martinez. June 22, 2007 was proclaimed “Pete Martinez Day” by the Mayor of the City of Boca Raton, Florida. Peter M. Montadas Peter Montadas, fluent in Spanish, was born in La Habana and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 3. As Momentum Consulting Corporation's President and Co-founder, he leverages more than 24 years of experience in Enterprise Applications Development /Integration, IT Business Solutions Development, Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing Solutions, and Project Management. Over the past several years, Peter has primarily focused on the business development of technology solutions for the firms' enterprise corporate customers, across multiple industry verticals such as travel, hospitality, retail, and transportation. In addition, Peter performs duties as an active client partner. He is responsible for key enterprise client account management, and assists in the architecture of high level IT business solutions. Peter has extensive experience in systems

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development, technology solutions development, and project management. As a management consultant, Peter worked for many large U.S. corporations such as Ryder, Burger King Corporation and IVAX. He has also managed international consulting engagements and is currently responsible for Momentum's near shore IT development practice in Central and South America. Prior to his national consulting firm experience, Peter served as a Project Manager for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in Washington D.C. Peter serves as President of the Association of Cuban Engineers. In 2009, Peter was awarded the Engineer of the Year award by the same Association. He is also the Founder and Director of the Belen Information Technology Section. Peter has been a member of the Microsoft Partner Advisor Council for e-Commerce, he has published technology articles and been interviewed on Cable TV News, quoted in local press and interviewed with Wall Street Industry analysts for the BI Technology space. He is very active with local charities and volunteer activities such as serving on the Board of Directors and acting as VP for the Association of Cuban Engineers, Mentor for the University of Miami School of Business and is a strong supporter of the Jim Kelly's Hunter's Hope Foundation. Peter received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from The America University in Washington D.C. and a Bachelor in Science in Electrical Engineering with a major in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami.

Carlos A. Penin Carlos Penin is originally from Cuba. Carlos Penin is the President and founder of C.A.P. Engineering, Inc., a privately held, minority owned firm. Mr. Penin’s professional history includes over 30 years of direct project experience, managerial functions, and various government appointments to industry organizations such as the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), where he served on the Board of Directors, and the Dade County Solid Waste Task Force. Throughout his career, Carlos has played an integral role in the south Florida engineering community. He has served as the City Engineer for several municipalities and worked on multiple projects for various entities including the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) and Miami-Dade Public Works Department (MDPW). Specific project experiences ranges from highways, bridges and airport terminals to water and sewer infrastructures, stadiums and various land development projects. As President of CAP, he oversees the daily operations of the firm and is personally involved in every project. Typically, Carlos Penin is the client's initial point of contact at the firm and is responsible for contract negotiations and schedules. Carlos Penin has a M.S. in Environmental and Urban Systems from Florida International University and a B.S. in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Florida.

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Armando I. Perez, Ph.D., P.E.

Born and lived in La Habana, Cuba, then lived in Spain and later came to the U.S. as an adolescent. Armando Perez started his career with Black, Crow & Eidsness Inc. (now, CH2M-Hill, Inc.) in Atlanta, GA as Project Engineer on watershed management and master planning projects. He moved to Miami and worked at Post Buckley Schuh and Jernigan (PBS&J), as Project Manager and Department Head, working on water quality management studies and flood control studies. In 1989, Dr. Perez founded the Miami office for Camp Dresser &McKee Inc. (CDM) and eventually became a Vice-President. At CDM he managed aproject (funded by the World Bank) to create the first full-service river basin managementagency in Brazil, in the city of Belo Horizonte (State of Minas Gerais). Dr. Perez nowworks part-time at CDM and performs volunteer professional activities. While at PBS&J, Dr. Perez served as President of the Miami-Dade Branch of the AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He obtained membership in the American Institute ofCertified Planners (AICP) via examination and was active in the Urban Planning &Development Division (UP&DD) of ASCE, including serving as Chair of its Land UseCommittee and later the Chair of the Executive Committee. While volunteering at ASCE’sUP&DD, Dr. Perez helped organize several specialty conferences and wrote a strategicplan for the Division. He was awarded ASCE’S Harland Bartholomew National Award forUrban Planning. Dr. Perez is a registered professional engineer in Florida and Puerto Rico.He serves as the chair of the Cuba Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Planning Committeeco-sponsored by the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers (C-AACE). Dr. Perez received his BS in Civil Engineering (with honors), Master’s in EnvironmentalEngineering (Water Resources Management) and Ph.D. in Water Resources Management(Minor in Economics/Statistics/Operations Research) from the University of Florida. Healso obtained a Master’s in Management (Finance) from Florida International University. Maria Fernandez-Porrata Maria Fernandez-Porrata was born in Guira de Melena, La Habana, Cuba. As of 2004 she has been employed by Marlin Engineering, Inc., where she works as the Public Relations Manager. Prior to this date she was appointed as the Public Works Director for the Village of Pinecrest, Florida and dedicated fourteen years of service to the Florida Department of Transportation, District Six, for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, where she held senior positions within the district including Internal Design-Engineer, Project Development Manager, Community Awareness Coordinator and Interim Public Information Officer. In this capacity she was responsible for many of the roadway and bridge planning, design, construction and maintenance of the State Highway System public involvement plans including all of the community awareness plans in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, Florida.

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Ms. Fernandez-Porrata is an active member of the America Public Works Association; she chairs the Diversity Committee for the Florida Chapter and is on the Board of Directors of the APWA South Florida – Branch. She is an active member of the America Society of Civil Engineers, President Elect of the Miami Dade Branch where she serves as the Branch Governmental Relations Chair. Ms. Fernandez-Porrata is also a member of the WTS, President for the South Florida Branch of the Women in Transportation Seminars (SFWTS) and is the Vice President for the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers. Ms. Fernandez-Porrata involvement in the local Community includes numerous activities, her favorites are: mentoring of engineering and pre-engineering students, especially with the Future City Program and activities that directly relate to her motherland of Cuba. She has received numerous awards and honors covering a wide range of recognitions such as : “Best Troop Leader” from Girls Scouts of America-Troop 53, “President Emeritus” from the Lancers Music Association, and “Outstanding Contributions “from the Miami Museum-Raising Interest in Science and Engineering (RISE) Program. She was the first women in history to receive the prestigious “Engineer of the Year Award” by the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers and the First to receive “Exemplary Diversity Award” by the Florida American Public Works Association. She is also the “Engineer of the Year” for the Miami Dade American Society of Civil Engineers. Ms. Fernandez Porrata graduated from Miami-Dade Community College and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. She has also taken courses through the MIT- Harvard Public Disputes Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a “Golden Panther” at heart and a proud recipient of the “2008 Torch Award” and Distinguished Alumna for the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University. Nicolás Quintana, Architect Nicolás Quintana is originally from Cuba. He is an architect designer and consultant with a vast experience in architecture and urbanism projects, since 1951. His projects and works have been executed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Bahamas, Brazil, New York, Los Angeles, and Florida. He is the recipient of several awards of excellence for his designs, teaching, etc. Some of these are: AIA Miami Chapter “Urban Design Award” 1998; “Member Emeritus Status” Cuban National Heritage 1998; Cintas Foundation “Life Achievement Award” 2004; NAAE’s “Educator of the year 2004 Award” 2005; “Journey Award” Miami Dade College 2008; “Recognition Award” by FIU College of Architecture and the Arts 2009; Member of Ciam / Team X worked with Le Corbusier, Gropius, Sert, etc. from 1948 to 1959). Nicolás Quintana has served as a lecturer and visiting critic, by invitation, at professional congresses, conferences, seminars, and symposia, in cultural institutions and at the schools of architecture of numerous universities in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, since 1953. As a critic he specializes in plastic arts, architecture, and

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urbanism. He has published numerous essays in books, journals, magazines, and newspapers in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean (since 1950). He is currently a retired scholar in architecture and urbanism Emeritus Professor of Architecture + the Arts from Florida International University. Graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of La Habana in February 1951 and received his practicing license that same year. Retired in May 2010 after 59 years of practicing and teaching. Rafael L. Robayna, P.E. Rafael L. Robayna was born in the town of Alquízar in La Habana, Cuba. He immigrated to the United States as the age of 15 in 1962. He is presently the President of Robayna and Associates, Inc. a planning, engineering and surveying firm founded by him in 1981. He oversees the daily operation of the firm and provides overview and quality assurance to clients. His experience expands 41 years in various fields of civil engineering, including water resources, storm water management and drainage, sewage conveyance and treatment, transportation, highways, structures and both residential and commercial land development. Among the positions that he has occupied in the past he was Head of the Highway Planning Section of Miami Dade County Public Works Department in the 1970’s. He has served in numerous committees, task forces and workshops related to the engineering profession, including the Miami Dade Storm Water Management Task Force, which was formed by the Miami Dade County Commission after Hurricane Irene to address the storm water events and deficiencies in the Miami Dade. Also has served in committees related to efficiency and competition of professional services of the Miami Dade Public Schools, chaired the Environmental and Drainage Committees of the South Florida Builders Association, and has participated in technical committees and task forces of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, American Association of Civil Engineers, and the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers related to water and sewer, drainage, structures and other engineering issues. Mr. Robayna has served as President of the Miami Dade Branch of American Association of Civil Engineers (ASCE), as well as member of the South Florida Section Board of Directors, and chaired committees on computers, storm water, and equal opportunities. He also served in ASCE’s National Committees in Equal Opportunities Programs and Minority Issues in Civil Engineering. Mr. Robayna has also served as President of the Cuban American Civil Engineer Association and is presently a Director. In the community service area he is the President of the Cuban Museum.

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He graduated from Miami Dade College with an Associates Degree in Architecture in 1967 and from University of Florida with a Bachelor Degree in Building Construction in 1969 and obtained his license as a Professional Engineer in the State of Florida in 1976. He has been honored with the Francisco de Albear Award and the Plinio Villanueva Award by the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers and was named to the Hall of Fame in Engineering by Miami Dade College. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz, P.E. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz is of Puerto Rican origin. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz is an executive with 31 years of experience both in private and government sector. He has held several positions during his career including General Manager for Alcatel in Puerto Rico (PR), Products Manager for Digital Equipment Corp, Executive Director Puerto Rico Electrical and Power Authority (PREPA), Executive President Puerto Rico Water and Sewer Authority (PRASA), Vice President World Wide Operations for Smart Modular Technologies, with responsibility for operations in Malaysia, Scotland, California, Massachusetts, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Among his major accomplishments he has been leading and orchestrating a major cultural change and financial turn-around under his leadership in PRASA, as well as in PREPA after the loss of a 600 MW plant. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz developed an island-wide contingency plan avoiding a collapse of the electrical system. Also, he redirected the capital investments to include a portfolio of renewable energy to reduce dependency from fuel oil. In Smart Modular Technologies, Mr. Ruiz lead implementation of lean manufacturing concepts, including Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing, also worked on the acquisition and due diligence of the Brazil Operations, and the start up of the Dominican Republic plant. In Digital Equipment Corp, Mr. Ruiz drove implementation of new technologies/processes IE, Surface Mount and SIX Sigma. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz has been recognized as the Manufacturer of the Year by PR Manufacturers Association, Government Sector Executive of the Year by the South Western Industrial Association, Distinguished Member of the College EF Engineers and Surveyors of PR. He is a former president of PRASA Board of Directors and actual president of Puerto Rican Chapter of Inter-American Association of Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (AIDIS). At the present time Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz is President of JR & Associates Consultants and EPJ Renewable Corporations, providing services in energy management, renewable energy, waste management, mergers and acquisitions, process optimization, preventive maintenance, composting, business development among others. Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz holds a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus and Executive Business Management Degree from Babson College, Wellesley, Mass.

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Helena M. Solo-Gabriele, Ph.D., P.E. Helena Solo-Gabriele, a Cuban-American born in the U.S., is fluent in Spanish. She began her career working as an engineer for Hazen and Sawyer P.C. focusing efforts on landfill design and water quality studies in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. In 1995 she became a faculty member at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida within the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Her duties as Professor include teaching in the area of environmental analysis, water and wastewater treatment plant design, engineering microbiology, and engineering scholarship. Her research focus is in the area of water quality and contaminant transport where she has published numerous journal articles and edited books on the subject of microbial contamination and metals contamination of sediments and water. Since 2006 she has been also working in an administrative capacity as the Associate Dean for Research within the College of Engineering where she promotes research activities within the college by implementing workshops to foster inter-departmental and inter-campus collaboration, facilitate activities which aim to further foster the research culture within the College including facilitating the College’s Distinguished Speaker Series, manage the College research proposal submittal process, and implement College guidelines for graduate student admissions and financial offers. Helena Solo-Gabriele is the recipient of the Association of Cuban Engineers (ACE)Engineer of the Year Award (2009), the University of Miami, College of EngineeringJohnson A. Edosomwan, Researcher of the Year Award (2008), and the Top 10 Most CitedArticles in Environmental Science and Technology (2007). Helena Solo-Gabriele served asa member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Cuban Engineers since 2004 andis currently President-Elect of the organization. She is also a member of the Association oCuban Civil Engineers. Helena Solo-Gabriele, along with Armando Perez, Co-chair theCuba Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Committee which focuses on documenting thesanitary infrastructure of Cuba. In this capacity, they have both provided joint presentationsbefore the Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy and have written papersfocusing on Cuba's water and wastewater treatment needs. Current on-going efforts in thisregard include supervision of student projects focusing on Cuba’s water and wastewaterinfrastructure. Helena Solo-Gabriele received her BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the University oMiami and graduated with her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Student Contributors Josenrique Cueto Josenrique Cueto is a Cuban-American born in the United States, and is fluent in Spanish. Mr. Cueto is currently practicing civil and environmental engineering at Hazen and Sawyer P.C., focusing on water and wastewater master planning throughout Latin-America, and the design of water and wastewater collection, transmission, and treatment systems in the United States and abroad. Josenrique received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami. In the summer of 2011 he will begin his Masters in water, wastewater, and storm water engineering at the University of Florida. Josenrique Cueto is the recipient of the Jose A. Vila Award (2010) from Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE). He is also a member of the national civil engineering honor society, Chi Epsilon, and is involved in several professional organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE), the Florida Water and Environment Association (FWEA), and is the Young Professional’s Chair for the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. Omar De Leon Omar De Leon is originally from Panama and is fluent in Spanish. He is currently a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering specializing in Sustainable Design and Construction and Advanced Infrastructure Systems. Omar received his B.S. in Civil Engineering and B.S. in Environmental Engineering, with honors, from the University of Miami. Omar’s current research efforts focus on evaluating the effectiveness of public water conservation programs for the residential sector. Omar De Leon is the recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Florida Section, Student of the Year Award (2009), the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE), Jose A. Vila Award (2009), and the University of Miami, College of Engineering, Brownell Award (2009). He is currently a member of the National Board of Directors of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and is also a member of Cuban American Society of Civil Engineers.

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Karen (Kajder) Saavedra Karen (Kajder) Saavedra, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, received her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami, May of 2009, receiving the academic achievement award for her major for the class of 2009. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, specializing in water resource management in developing countries. She will be graduating in May of 2011. Cristina Ortega-Castineiras Cristina Ortega-Castineiras is Cuban, raised in La Habana until the age of nine. At the time of this writing she was an undergraduate student at the University of Miami, pursuing a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering. She graduated in December 2009 receiving the academic achievement award for her major for the class of 2010. Since January of 2009 she worked as an intern for Hazen and Sawyer P.C. where she provided support for water and wastewater design work in Florida and Latin America. She has recently accepted a full-time engineering position with Milian Swain and Associates, Inc for work focusing on water treatment design. Cristina is currently working towards her Master’s degree with specialization in water, wastewater, and stormwater engineering at the University of Florida. Cristina Ortega-Castineiras is the recipient of the Luciano de Goicochea Award (2007, 2008), the Florida Power and Light Scholarship (2007) and the Ingeniero Pedro O. Martinez Award (2008, 2009) from the Association of Cuban Engineers (ACE); and the Roy W. Likins Scholarship (2009), from the Americam Water Works Association (AWWA). She is also a member of the national civil engineering honor society, Chi Epsilon, and is involved in several professional organizations such as the American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE), Association of Cuban Engineers (ACE), the Florida Water and Environment Association (FWEA), and is the Young Professional’s Co-chair for the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

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Reshma Ramoutar Reshma Ramoutar a native of Trinidad and Tobago obtained her BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami in December 2009. Since May of 2010 she worked with the Department of Environmental Protection Agency as an intern. Reshma was a part of a dynamic team geared towards the reconstruction of New York’s largest wastewater treatment plant. Reshma is currently employed at Johnsons Construction Management Inc. focusing on green building designs. She is currently applying for the fall 2011 semester at City College where she will be pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Sustainability in the Urban Setting.