MATANZAS, CUBA.- The Sixth Congress of the Latin American and Caribbean Federation of Speleology (FEALC) begins on Wednesday in the central Cuban province of Matanzas with the participation of nearly 350 delegates from almost 20 countries.

The identification of threats against the subsoil such as the contamination of aquifers, the destruction of ecosystems and aesthetic values, among others, are some of the topics to be discussed by participants given the importance of caverns for the preservation of drinkable water.

Dr. Ercilio Vento Canosa, president of the Cuban Society of Speleology, announced that a symposium to mark the 70th anniversary of this institution —the oldest of its type in Cuba and Latin America— will take place in parallel with the FEALC event.

Speleology and Society is the main theme of this scientific meeting in which delegates will analyze some 200 research papers related to paleontology, biospeleology, speleo-assistance, geology and hydrogeology, and the protection and management of the carse.

The meeting will run through August 8 and it includes lectures, exhibitions and a visit to the Bellamar caves where actions in favor of sustainable development and the protection of the system of caverns are implemented.

Cuba has 65% of carsic soils that shelter some 30,000 caverns supporting the majority of the existing ecosystems. Almost 90% of these soils are in Matanzas province.