English

Puerto Rico Far From Having Plan to Face Climate Change

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For the past eight years, Puerto Rico has faced at least one extreme event every year. Hurricanes, droughts and floods have landed multimillion dollar blows to the island, while 92% of coastal towns have suffered from beach erosion. The Puerto Rico government has known for years about the serious threat facing the island. Under the administration of the two political parties that have been in office since 2005, the Legislature and the Executive branch have enacted a total of 62 measures to tackle climate change and its effects on the island. None has translated into action, according to an investigation by the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) in Puerto Rico.

Islas a la deriva

Puerto Rico está lejos de un plan para enfrentar el cambio climático

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Puerto Rico ha enfrentado cada año al menos un evento extremo durante los últimos ocho años. Huracanes, sequías e inundaciones han causado estragos multimillonarios a través de toda la isla, y el 92% de los municipios costeros han registrado pérdida de playas. Los gobiernos de Puerto Rico sabían la seria amenaza que enfrentaba la isla. Tanto así que bajo los dos partidos que han gobernado desde 2005 hasta hoy se radicaron 62 medidas desde el Legislativo o el Ejecutivo para atajar el problema de los esperados impactos del cambio climático en la isla. Ninguna se ha traducido en acción, evidencia una investigación del Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI).

Islas a la deriva

Huracanes exponen décadas de negligencia gubernamental en la preparación para el cambio climático en el Caribe

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Ahora el impacto concreto del aumento del nivel del mar y de las temperaturas, y los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos no son una proyección futura, sino una dura realidad. La investigación regional de CPI documentó que ya están ocurriendo inundaciones continuas, desplazamientos de poblaciones, pérdida significativa de costas e impactos sobre negocios turísticos en lugares como Puerto Rico, BVI, USVI, Dominica, Panamá, República Dominicana y Haití.

Islands Adrift

Hurricanes expose governments’ decades of negligence in Caribbean climate change preparedness

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Climate change effects like rising sea-level, more rainfall and stronger hurricanes are quickly eroding the coasts of vulnerable Caribbean islands and actively destroying community life and economic activity in plain sight with little to no governmental or international action to protect citizens. Hurricane’s Irma and Maria terribly exposed this institutional neglect in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands where infrastructure collapsed, and coastal constructions were destroyed by storm surge and erosion. Politics play an important role in lack of action and visibility of these island-colonies -and about 10 others in the region- in official world global warming efforts because their data is not considered and they are not included in their analysis.