The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) praised Cuba's research on climate change with rigorous scientific and multidisciplinary natures, Cuban state media reported Thursday.

Barbara Pesce-Monteiro, regional representative of UNDP in Cuba, said that Cuba has a strong commitment to sustainable economic and social development models that combine human welfare with environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources, the Communist Party daily Granma said.

Speaking at the opening of the Workshop on Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Havana, the UN official also stressed the importance of documenting Cuba's scientific climate knowledge to make it available to other countries in the region.

Gisela Alonso, head of the Environment Agency of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, said Cuba has launched a program to tackle climate change, including comprehensive research on risks, vulnerabilities and the dangers of extreme weather events.

The UNDP has 17 collaborative projects in Cuba with total investment of about 45 million U.S. dollars, and another seven programs are in the process of being approved, according to the UN.