Natural Infrastructure Restoration to Enhance Climate Resilience in Puerto Rico - 2019 North American Partnership for

Accelerating and enhancing the natural recovery of mangrove wetlands will offset the observed net mangrove area loss as result of the combined impact of hurricanes in 2017 and past cumulative-long term negative impacts (e.g., hydrological alterations associated to land use/change) within and around the JBNERR. [...] The compounded effect of gap creation along the berm and persistence of high energy winds and tides can significantly impact the integrity of the injured vegetation, diminishing the capacity of the surrounding forest to re- grow into the unvegetated extensive openings caused by the storms as currently observed in the JBNERR as result of hurricanes Maria and Irma. [...] The degree of Hurricane Maria’s impact on the Jobos Bay mangroves was related to physical conditions of the storm (i.e., intensity, wind velocity, size) and the proximity of mangrove wetlands to the hurricane’s path. [...] This condition is partially the result of the economical inability of the state and local government to restore and maintain the natural and man-made discharge points in optimal conditions for mangrove conservation and sustainability. [...] In order to restore the hydroperiod/water flow to the system, the maintenance of ditches, culverts and the channel maintenance dredging must be implemented in order to regain at least minimum flooding frequency/duration and net water exchange between deteriorating wetlands and adjacent estuarine waters; this includes freshwater discharge from points of entrance in the northern region of the JBNEER.