Drought-hit Cuba is to build five desalination plants, according to reports in several Vietnamese news outlets, including vietnambreakingnews.com.

The reports refer to comments made by Ines Maria Chapman, president of Cuba’s National Institute of Water Resources, that a 2,160 m3/d plant in the city of Santiago de Cuba, will be commissioned this year.

The new plant is the first of five proposed in response to the drought that has gripped Cuba since late 2014, part of the El Nino weather phenomenon. The city of Santiago de Cuba is among the places hardest hit by the water shortages.