Thousands of Puerto Rico's coastal structures are vulnerable to future increases in sea levels, according to a new climate report released Friday.
Nearly 8,000 structures in the island's low-lying areas, as well as drinking water and sanitation pipelines, are said to be at risk by an increase in sea level of 1.6 feet. If that increase extends to 6.5 feet, more than 50,000 structures susceptible, resulting in approximately $11.8 billion in losses.
The major scientific report was issued by 13 federal agencies and mandated by Congress. It lays out the impact of climate change on the country by the end of the century. The 1,656-page assessment also breaks out the chain reaction it will have on areas in the U.S. Caribbean.
Under the "Intermediate-High to Extreme scenarios" laid out in the report, Puerto Rico is projected to lose 3.6 percent of total coastal land, directly impacting those critical infrastructures.
