In Cuba, as elsewhere, environmental issues derive from complex interactions among nature, society, the economy and politics. A multisector approach is needed to address them, in which the health and education systems are key, due to their role in alerting both the public and the authorities to potential risks.

As identified in 2012 by the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, the main environmental problems faced by Cuba are soil degradation, forest coverage, contamination (from liquid and solid wastes, atmospheric emissions, noise, chemical products and dangerous dumping), loss of biological diversity, shortages and difficulties related to water availability and quality, and the impact of climate change.