We have identified elements of our broader proposal as more immediate, nearer term, or longer term in nature, in order to focus the use of limited resources. Factors we considered included proposals’ relevance to immediate storm recovery efforts and essential needs following storms, alongside the costs and barriers to implementation they face.
Puerto Rico Background
Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, is an archipelago (a cluster of islands) located off the southeast corner of the United States in the Carribean. It has a diverse geography consisting of lowland urban areas around the northern coast and mountainous rural areas cutting across the center of the island (see figure 1 and figure 2). As of 2018, the population of Puerto Rico was at a record low of 3.2 million people due to 132,000 people leaving after Hurricane Maria and Irma struck the island in 2017. The capital city, San Juan, is the most populated city, with approximately 321,000 residents (see figure 3).
Figure 1: A map of Puerto Rico showing the population density of each municipality, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Figure 2: A satellite image of Puerto Rico showing the topography of the island.
Figure 3: A map of Puerto Rico showing major cities, roads, and rivers.