By: Brenda Torres Barreto
Executive Director of the San Juan Bay Estuary Program
Puerto Rico's capacity to manage water resources was severely challenged after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The nature of these two storms, coupled with urban development in vulnerable areas and the country's outdated infrastructure, made this challenge virtually insurmountable.
Days after Hurricane Maria, this issue became even more relevant when the incidence of deadly diseases, such as leptospirosis, caused by human contact with contaminated water, was announced. The sheer uncertainty led us to question emergency management protocols, public health management, drinking water management, and wastewater management in Puerto Rico.
Through relief efforts by private, community, and government entities, we have seen how the challenge related to water management persists. Even though six months have passed since Hurricane Maria, there are still areas without clean water, specifically in remote areas devastated by the hurricane.
The lack of access to safe water—water that is suitable for drinking and hygiene because it is free of harmful bacteria, toxic metals, or chemicals—represents a major obstacle to our country's recovery and sustainable development. It also represents a violation of our universal right to this precious resource, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
During the recovery process we are currently undergoing, we must acknowledge that Puerto Rico contributes to the lamentable statistic of 663 million people living without access to safe drinking water. However, we can overcome this reality by implementing modern and innovative water resource management measures and adopting a public policy aligned with the goal of eliminating the risk of safe water scarcity.
Among the innovative measures is the development of green infrastructure. We must evaluate options that utilize nature as a solution for the country's reconstruction, thereby supporting gray infrastructure, reducing costs in small-scale projects, and supporting already degraded or ecologically valuable ecosystems. The benefit derived from nature-based water management practices is exponential; during the process of ensuring the efficient use of water resources, its quality improves, the risks associated with floods and droughts decrease, and the resilience of regions increases.
Green infrastructure strategies are recognized by experts in the sector. However, gray infrastructure still dominates solutions due to a lack of public policy and an outdated building code.
Today, the Puerto Rican community must join the United Nations' call on World Water Day to explore ways to overcome the challenge of water management through nature. Immediately incorporating green infrastructure strategies into water management could undoubtedly be the most responsible way to move Puerto Rico's reconstruction process forward.
