“That is an formidable agenda,” Gov. Pedro Pierluisi mentioned at a press convention.
Puerto Rico has practically 700 miles (1,200 kilometers) of shoreline, and two-thirds of the island’s 3.2 million resident dwell alongside coastal areas. Of that inhabitants, greater than 20% dwell in areas at excessive threat for flooding.
A examine by the College of Puerto Rico discovered that greater than 60 miles (99 kilometers) of shoreline have migrated inland in earlier years. A lot of the erosion is blamed on storms together with Hurricane Maria, a Class 4 storm that slammed into the island in September 2017, with consultants warning that future storms will likely be extra highly effective and happen extra usually.
By July 2018, erosion was recognized in 40% of Puerto Rico’s seashores and accretion, which is the buildup of sand, was present in 60% of seashores, based on the Institute of Coastal Investigation and Planning of Puerto Rico.
The measures introduced Tuesday will likely be applied in municipalities which were hit the toughest, together with Rincon, Cabo Rojo, Isabela and the neighboring sister island of Vieques, all extraordinarily common with vacationers.
The island’s Division of Pure Assets additionally was ordered to create a brand new protocol to cope with coastal erosion and replace its coastal zone administration plan.
Different measures embody the creation of a committee charged with combating coastal erosion, the demolition of deserted coastal buildings and the demarcation of public area belongings within the maritime-terrestrial zone.
The announcement comes as activists and environmentalists proceed to demand a moratorium on coastal zone development and decry a rise in unlawful coastal buildings, a few of which judges have ordered demolished.
Pierluisi mentioned he wouldn’t rule out such a moratorium, however just for sure areas.
