Strategies include a vision of reconstruction with nature-based solutions

Guaynabo, PUERTO RICO ― The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared 2024 as the Year of Resilience to address the need to translate disaster recovery into actions that take into account the effects of climate change.

Seven years after Hurricane María, Puerto Rico has nearly $34 billion in funding from the agency for over 11,000 projects. Of all those projects, 87 percent already have hazard mitigation measures that will specifically help infrastructure throughout the island sustain and reduce damage in the face of future weather events. 

“A large part of the projects that define and guide Puerto Rico’s recovery have already nearly $3.4 billion earmarked exclusively for mitigation. In addition to addressing the risks of future damage, we are also addressing a reconstruction that harmonizes human-made structures with the natural environment that surrounds them,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José Baquero. 

Four examples of these works include road infrastructure projects in the municipalities of Peñuelas, San Lorenzo, Yabucoa and Naranjito, which have over $2.2 million for their work.

There is a project in Peñuelas that will soon be published for bidding and that has about $881,000 from FEMA for the reconstruction of municipal roads in the communities of Hacienda Loyola and La Colacha in the Barreal neighborhood. 

As part of the nature-based solutions to mitigate hazards on these roads, infiltration trenches will be installed to allow rainwater to filter into the soil. These trenches help reduce the rate of water discharge to prevent erosion and landslides. To control erosion, geotextile fabric will also be installed. This is a material made of soil that helps with drainage. It also allows plants to take root and strengthens the soil against future rains and runoff. 

Meanwhile, in the Quebrada Arenas sector of the municipality of San Lorenzo, road repairs are already completed after an allocation of over $854,000. Geotextile fabric was also installed over the embankment to address erosion in this work. Additionally, live stakes and cuttings — or deep-rooted grass — were installed, which are carefully selected for their root development and how they stabilize the soil in the long term.

San Lorenzo’s Recovery Office director, Héctor Román, explained that the geography of Quebrada Arenas is characterized by its steep terrain, which requires that the more than 100 families in the area have safe infrastructure to move about their daily tasks. Román said that the use of cuttings and live stakes allows for greater water drainage when it rains without the soil losing sturdiness; and that this has created a sense of security for residents.

Diversifying the variety of species of cutting helps preserve genetic diversity and increase the ecosystem’s resistance to pests and diseases. This is one of many eco-sustainable recommendations that FEMA’s Puerto Rico office has worked with experts and nonprofit organizations to develop into three nature-based solution guides. The guides offer ecological alternatives specific to Puerto Rico and focus on three types of needs: shoreline and dune stabilization and restoration, streambank stabilization, and stormwater management.

“The infrastructure issue and being able to leave and return to their homes safely is something that Quebrada Arenas residents take into account in their daily lives. The municipality is therefore using FEMA funds to repair the infrastructure and improve the quality of life of the neighborhood’s residents,” the municipal official said.

In Yabucoa and with an allocation of about $280,000, the bridge on highway PR-90 was restored. The asphalt, guardrails, embankment and concrete gutters were repaired here, among other work.

As part of the nature-based solutions for mitigation in this project, the pavement was reinforced with geotextile fabric to prevent erosion and a jute mesh was applied. Jute is a plant fiber extracted from the stem and bark of a plant. This material allows time for plants to take root in the soil; live stakes and bunchgrass, known for the firmness and depth of their roots and how they help improve soil and water quality, are used here.

Finally, in Naranjito and with an obligation of over $227,000, a section of the PR-825 was reconstructed in the Los Espinell sector of the Achiote neighborhood. The embankment was also repaired here.

The nature-based solution highlighted for this project is the replacement of standard gabion walls with green gabions. These walls are made with stones; topsoil is added to fill the empty spaces and everything is covered with a coconut fiber blanket. The top of the wall is left open to make room for vegetation, such as grass and vetiver, which will protect the soil from erosion.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency, (COR3), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, said that “Hurricane María was an event that not only transformed Puerto Rico, but also changed the way the Government and the people prepare for this type of disaster. Given the magnitude of this event, COR3 designed and implemented innovative, unprecedented measures, which received FEMA’s endorsement to address the hurricanes and earthquakes reconstruction process. COR3, which originated as a FEMA requirement, has a comprehensive mission as a liaison agency between municipalities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. We remain committed to advancing reconstruction in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.”

You can access the video through the following link: Recovery Seven Years After Hurricane Maria.

For more information about Puerto Rico’s recovery,  visit fema.gov/disaster/4339, fema.gov/disaster/4473 and recovery.pr. Follow us on our social media at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr.