Puerto Rico.- Max Puig, the Executive Vice President of the National Council for Climate Change, has urged Puerto Rico to collaborate with the Dominican Republic in crafting joint climate policies to address the severe impacts of climate change on the two Antillean islands.
Puig emphasized the need for solidarity and cooperation between the two nations during a series of activities focused on analyzing the climate challenges facing the Caribbean region and the world. He highlighted the threats posed by rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and intense storms associated with climate change, which endanger coastal infrastructure such as roads, hotels, airports, and ports, ultimately jeopardizing the safety and well-being of communities.
As part of his efforts, Puig delivered a conference titled “Climate in Crisis: The Challenges of Climate Change in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the World” at the Carolina campus of the University of Puerto Rico, alongside the university’s rector, José Ignacio Meza Pereira, and other prominent academics and community leaders.
Another conference with the same theme was held at the Dominican House in San Juan, featuring the participation of Dominican officials on the island, including César Cedeño, Dominican consul general in Puerto Rico, and Melchor Matos Ledesma, head of the Institute of Dominicans Abroad (INDEX), among others. These events aimed to raise awareness about the challenges of climate change and underscored the importance of collective action.
During his visit to Puerto Rico, Puig engaged in discussions with Marco Antonio Rigau, president of the Puerto Rican Ateneo and former senator, focusing on strengthening the historical ties of solidarity between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Additionally, Puig met with Dominican residents in Puerto Rico, as well as Dominican authorities abroad and academic and educational figures from the neighboring nation. He also exchanged presentations with Dr. Rafael Méndez Tejeda, a Dominican resident in Puerto Rico and an expert on climate change who is a member of the Committee of Experts and Advisors on Climate Change of the government of Puerto Rico, further enriching the dialogue on this critical topic.