Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi Declares State of Emergency Due to Erosion

Erosion has been causing so many problems in Puerto Rico that Governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency during a recent press conference. This declaration would fight worsening coastal erosion across the island, which many say is a result of climate change.

Pierluisi announced that the government of the U.S. territory is setting aside $105 million in federal funds to implement around two dozen measures to minimize the ongoing loss of land, as well as curtail its effects.

According to the Associated Press, among the nearly two dozen measures that the Puerto Rican government is planning include relocating homes, creating artificial reefs, planting mangrove trees, and adding sand to beaches.

Governor Pedro Pierluisi admitted that his agenda is ambitious as the U.S. territory has almost 700 miles (1,200 kilometers) of coastline, with approximately two-thirds of the island's 3.2 million residents living along coastal areas.

The measures that the governor announced on Tuesday are expected to be implemented in some of the hardest-hit municipalities, including Rincon, Cabo Rojo, Isabela, and the neighboring sister island of Vieques. It is noted that these areas are very popular with tourists.

Severe erosion has been recorded in the towns of Luquillo, Loiza, Patillas, Humacao, Dorado, and Ponce. Other hard-hit areas include Arecibo, Humacao, Vega Baja, Fajardo, Luquillo, Humacao, Hatillo, Mayaguez, Aguada, Arecibo, and Camuy.

"I am not saying that we are going to limit ourselves to these municipalities, but we have to establish some priorities," said the Governor.

The Worsening Erosion in Puerto Rico

The University of Puerto Rico launched a study and found that over 60 miles (99 kilometers) of the U.S. territory's shoreline has migrated inland over the previous years. Much of this may have been caused by storms, such as Hurricane Maria which devastated the island back in 2017.

With the effects of climate change, experts are warning that future storms will be more powerful and occur more often, thus accelerating the erosion in Puerto Rico.

According to ABC News, experts have identified erosion in around 40% of Puerto Rico's beaches. Meanwhile, experts from the Institute of Coastal Investigation and Planning of Puerto Rico found that accretion, or the accumulation of sand, was found in around 60% of the territory's beaches.

Puerto Rico to Develop Less of Its Coastal Zone to Combat Erosion

While Puerto Rico is popular among tourists thanks to its beautiful beaches, the governor has released an order that established that the government would not undertake any further development into the U.S. territory's coastal zones.

According to El Nuevo Dia, Pierluisi has set aside $5 million of ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funds and another $100 million in federal funds assigned to the Department of Housing for this undertaking.

However, he did not specify if these funds will be sufficient to carry out the initiatives included in his executive order. He did insist that it is a comprehensive agenda and that it will be a priority of his administration.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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