Construction Permits on Puerto Rico’s Coasts Increased in Pierluisi’s First Year

The development projects that have been authorized on the island’s coasts are mostly hotels, residences, or businesses despite the fact that experts warn against building on the shoreline because of climate change.

Construction in Puerto Rico’s coastal areas has increased by 29% during the first year of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi’s administration even though experts recommend that no more construction be done in these areas because of climate change.

And even more alarming, documents from the Permit Management Office (OGP by its Spanish initials) show construction permits granted for projects on the coast of the island increased 239% when comparing those granted in 2015 with those approved in 2021, according to an investigation by the media outlet Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI).

Accelerated development on the coasts has occurred despite the fact that the Law on Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in Puerto Rico has been in effect since May 2019. This law states that coastal planning must be implemented to address rising sea levels and direct new development away from shorelines.

RELATED: Biden Administration Awards $163M to Restore Caño Martín Peña

According to data from the 2020 Census, 60% of the 3.2 million residents of Puerto Rico live in coastal municipalities.

The CPI analysis indicates that the construction permits that have been authorized on the coasts are mostly for hotels, residences, or businesses. Very few are aimed at addressing the effects of climate change like rising sea levels, coastal erosion, floods, and protecting vulnerable communities, artificial reefs, and dunes and mangroves.

Environmental injustice is also a major factor, as wealthier communities build their own mitigation and adaptation projects, while lower-income communities depend on government aid.